hollanddaze

2012-01-22T21:58:00.002-05:00

Granny moved to Red Bud Illinois today. I have been struggling with it for the last couple of weeks, but it seemed a little rushed yesterday, while they loaded the truck, so it wasn't as emotional as what I thought it would be, thankfully. It is just hard to think I may not see my grandmother much before she passes away. She has always only been 2 hrs away or less my entire life, but now she is 5 hrs away. I can't make that a quick trip to see her. It is very hard to see her as she has deteriorated over the last few years, but she was the best granny ever! I have such fond memories of her as I was growing up & she means so much to me. I know, 5 hrs isn't really that far away in the grand scheme of things, but with life & 2 kids, it is a great distance! She told me yesterday that she hopes to see me soon & that she knows she is pretty far away. I told her that it didn't matter the distance, there is no distance too far when it comes to her. And it is true! I will find a way to go see her a couple of times in the next few months. I lover her and hope she knows exactly how much!

2012-01-22T21:42:00.002-05:00

Well, the holiday season is over!! Yippee. I have enjoyed the last few weekends of not doing very much.
We had a good Christmas. The girls got lots of presents from family & from Santa. Carleigh really had no clue what was going on. Jillian acted a little "shy" about opening presents. She wanted to pass out me & Chris's presents half way through opening her presents. Not sure what that was all about, but I think they both enjoyed the day & all their presents.
Chris & I joined Rick, Shelley, Dani & PJ for New Years Eve watching Peacetrain. I think I danced 90% of the night. I got drunk, but not too bad that I had a hangover the next day, I can't say the same about Chris :) We had a great time though!! I was sad to see the night end.
Chris & I went out to dinner last night for his birthday. We went to one of our favorite places, Stonecreek, for dinner & then walked across the street & watched Contraband. It was very good. All in all, it was a great night. Very glad we did it. it was definitely much needed. Before we left, Jillian asked why we were going on a date, I told her because Mommy & Daddy need to be reminded that we aren't just mommy & daddy, but husband & wife too. It definitely reminded me of that bit of information. It also reminded me as to why I married him. I can't believe we have been together for almost 12 years!! Time sure has flown.
Carleigh is getting tubes on Tuesday. I'm happy because she has been fighting ear infections all year. But also nervous, which I'm sure is natural. It is just a little scary that my baby is going under anesthesia. And I'm sure it would be normal to feel this way, but in the back of my mind I'm a little more nervous because of the pneumothorax when she was born. Her pediatrician & Dr. Weaver (the special care nursery dr) has assured me that there will be no repercussions with it, but it still makes me a little nervous. Chris has reassured me that she is a fighter & everything will be fine. Which I'm sure it will.

2011-12-15T20:59:00.003-05:00

Jillian & I making cookies. She is singing "She Thinks My Tractors Sexy"

Carleigh fell asleep while holding her Elmo book.

My girls!!

Jillian defeats daddy!!

Busy, busy, busy, that explains our lives right now! I can't believe that Christmas is only 10 days away! I think we are pretty set for the girls. I keep buying for Carleigh, but I need to realize that she will have no clue that she gets less presents than Jillian. I just can't help myself. LOL.
The girls have their Christmas Program tomorrow, then Saturday is our Greensburg Christmas and Sunday is my families Christmas! Very busy weekend. On the 23rd, we are going down to Franklin for the Holland Christmas then cookie baking on Christmas Eve & then it's CHRISTMAS!! I can't believe how fast it has gone.It is so exciting to be seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child. We bought Elf on a Shelf this year & it has been fun hiding Elfie around the house for Jillian to find. Every morning Jillian gets up to search for him.
Jillian has been fighting a UTI since Thanksgiving. Hopefully this last round of antibiotics will do the trick. It was a rough couple of potty breaks there for awhile & one awful doctor visit last week.
Carleigh has been doing well, no ear problems as of right now, but she isn't sleeping worth a crap! I think she is teething, someone at work told me that the cuspids she is cutting are the worst ones to cut. I think she may be the class clown because she does things & if it gets a laugh out of us, she does it over & over again. She cracks me up!!
I have been slacking on picture taking but will try to do some pictures during these weekends. I want to try to get the girls in front of the Christmas tree & take pictures of them together. We will see if that happens!!

2011-11-21T22:00:00.002-05:00

Carleigh had her 15 month check up today. She weighs 25 lbs which is 89%ile; she is 32 inches long which 87%ile and her head circumference is 19 which is 97%ile. So, more or less, we have yet another big baby. It has not been a good month for her sleeping because of her ears and even since she has been on the anti biotic she is still waking up at night. But her ears look good this time, so it may just be that she is teething now. When she wakes up at night, we try to give her a paci & she shakes her head or hits it out of our hands. She has a slight temper. lol. She eventually goes back to sleep but not without a huge fuss which in turn wakes Jillian up, but I'll get to her later. Carleigh is doing well walking and making us laugh. The other night at dinner, she kept sticking the fork on her head, taking her hands off of it & then laughing hysterically because it was staying. It made me laugh, so Chris had to keep telling me under his breath to stop laughing because that is why she continued to do it, but I couldn't control myself. it was so funny. She is a stinker & keeps us on our toes.
Jillian is keeping us on our toes also, but she has been a very good girl at home & school. She went to see Happy Feet with Papaw this Saturday. She was so excited & said she had a great time. She ate most of papaw's popcorn, all of her gummy worms & most of his Sprite. LOL. And she said her belly hurt.....wonder why. Bob said on the way there he had his turn signal on & Jillian asked what the noise was she heard. When Bob told her what it was & maybe that they were turnning left (I missed that part of the story) Jillian told him that the movie theatre was farther up. And Bob said "And by God she was right". lol. That still cracks me up. And I think I overheard him say that she kind of directed him back to our house too. If Carleigh doesn't wake her up, then she is having bad dreams according to her. When we ask what it was about she says she doesn't want to talk about it because she will get scared again. But I'm begining to think she is pulling my leg because she knows I won't turn her away if she has had a bad dream. I had to try to tell her the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" tonight. We will see what happens.
We are looking forward to Thanksgiving. We are going to Brooke & Steve's again this year. Mom & Granny are going to visit my Aunt Sally & the rest of the family in Red Bud for Thanksgiving. Ellen and I are going to try our hand at shopping on Thursday since we only go to Target and Walmart anyway. I'm going to crash at her house that night & am looking forward to it so much since this month, as I said before, has sucked when it comes to sleeping this month!! I love the holidays!!

2011-11-07T20:36:00.008-05:00

It has been awhile since I blogged. I guess we have been busy, but I don't know if any of it has been blog worthy.
Carleigh is walking very well all of a sudden, guess she is going to have a mind of her own & will do things at her own pace. She just got up one day & started walking instead of crawling. She can say a few words & is a funny 15mth old. She makes me laugh on a daily basis.
Jillian has gotten into trouble at school a little bit recently. She spit on a girl who called her yucky, hit a boy for being in her face, told a boy (may have been same one she hit) that he wasn't smart after he was getting praised at circle time and back talked a teacher! There are times I am at my wits end with her. Other times she is so sweet & good, I'm amazed. The next picture is a perfect example:
She came in to tell me one day while I was in the shower that Carleigh wanted me. I told her Carleigh would have to wait until I was done. When I was done, I saw their bedroom light on. I went in there to find Jillian sitting on a stool reading to Carleigh to keep her entertained. Carleigh was sitting very content "reading" a book herself. It was very sweet. And as cold hearted as my co-workers think I am, it brought tears to my eyes.

Jillian posing one day before school.

Chris & I went to a Halloween party on the 29th. We had a good time, from what I can remember. haha.I think the jello shots caught up with me eventually. A lot of it is a blur, but it was nice hanging out with friends & Chris.

Chris & I at the Halloween Party.

Ellen & I at Halloween party.

We had a nice Halloween. Jillian enjoyed carving her pumpkin & actually used the knife to carve a lot of it. It made me realize that when a child is carving a pumpkin, you have to sit back & not worry about perfectionism. On Halloween, the family went out around our neighborhood. Jillian was so excited because this is technically her first year we went out & went trick or treating. She asked a couple of people if she could have candy for her sister (another sweet moment). After awhile Carleigh & Chris went home while Jillian and I finished our street. Then her and I headed over to Ellen's neighborhood for a little trick or treating because there weren't a whole lot of people giving out candy when we started in our hood. She eventually got tired & wanted to come home.

Jillian carving her pumpkin.

Supergirl saving the Cow before she topples over.

Daddy & Supergirl before we went Trick or Treating.

Mommy, cow & Supergirl before Trick or Treating

This past weekend, we went to a birthday party on Friday for a co-worker's daughter. Then on Saturday, we went to McDonalds for a birthday party of one of Jillian's classmates. She was not happy when we had to leave, but I expected that response. Then we went & got her hair cut. She did a GREAT job! I didn't even stand by her. I went and sat in the waiting chairs.
So, like I said, life is a little boring, but we are chugging along. Jillian is very excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hopefully I will do better at this blogging then what I have been doing.

Jillian after eating PB&J.

Carleigh after eating PB&J. Its even in her hair!!

2011-09-11T20:51:00.005-04:00

It has been over a month since I have blogged...Sorry Judy. We have been pretty busy these last few weeks. Here are some pictures to recap the last few months.

Carleigh climbing through the tunnel to the tent.

Jillian hanging out in her tent.

Jillian at the park.

Chris and Darcy at Ellen's.

Jillian in front of Papoo's motorcycle.

Carleigh at her birthday party. She was Ms. One-derful.

Rhianna & Carleigh at Carleigh's birthday party.

Lia comforting Carleigh when I walked away.

Me and Carleigh.

Life is busy, but pretty good. Jillian has started Pre-K and we are working with some sight-words. Which is exciting because she loves to read, so anything that will help her read herself is great in my book. We went to the Zoo this past Thursday for a field trip. She was so excited to go, she would mark off a day each school day on a makeshift calendar we made on her easel. She rode on the daycare bus to & from, while I drove behind her. She could have cared less that I wasn't on that bus with her. She was just excited to be on a bus. LOL. We had a good time.
Carleigh is standing up a little on her own. She actually took 2 steps today. Now she likes to stand on her own & kind of fall into me. And then laugh a mischievous
laugh that she likes to do. It is quite comical when she laughs that way. She has also started climbing on things. I have noticed her lifting her leg up to try & get in the bathtub, but yesterday, she climbed up on Chris's footstool. We had to remove that from the living room for the time being.
Jillian and Carleigh are so cute together. For the most part, Jillian loves sharing with Carleigh and trying to make her laugh. It is quite cute to hear them interact. I hope they continue to stay close & have fun together.

a year ago tonight

2011-08-03T23:04:00.002-04:00

A year ago tonight, I was a little sad that Jillian wasn't going to be the only little girl in our house. I can't believe Carleigh will be a year old tomorrow. I remember the night a year ago very well.

Jillian & I sat on the couch where I cried because of how our lives were going to change the next day. Then her & I laid in our bed watching Cupcake Wars before she went to bed. The normal thoughts were going through my head, like if I was going to be able to love Carleigh the way I love Jillian. I was worried about how I was going to be a mommy to two kids. I was worried about how I was going to be a good mommy to Jillian when I knew I was going to be sleep deprived taking care of Carleigh for hours through the night. I was also worried about how Jillian was going to handle not being the only child, would she be jealous? would she be mean to Carleigh? So many insecurities & questions were running through my head. I am so happy to say, I had nothing to worry about as I look back now....

I absolutely love Carleigh as much as I do Jillian. I have somehow managed to be a mommy to 2 girls (thanks to Chris of course, kudos to single moms). I don't know how I did it, but I think I have been a pretty good mommy to Jillian even though I am STILL sleep deprived (a few hills along the way of course). And Jillian has amazed me with how great of a sister she is to Carleigh. It brings tears to my eyes as I type this with the love that Jillian has for her. I think the love for Carleigh was as instant for Jillian as it was for Chris & I. And I know they are not always going to like each other, but right now it is so cute how much Jillian cares for her. She is always so worried when Carleigh is crying, wanting to make her feel better. Always wanting to include Carleigh in whatever we are doing. Goes and sees her a couple of times at daycare because she misses her. Always trying to make her laugh. The other night, Carleigh woke up while Jillian was laying in bed still awake & the next thing I knew, instead of crying, I hear Carleigh giggling. I don't know what Jillian was doing to make her laugh, but she was giggling quite a bit. THAT made my heart fill with joy! Then tonight as we were driving home, I heard Carleigh laughing & it was because Jillian was doing something silly to her to make her laugh.

So as I wrap up my rambling, I am happy to say having Carleigh has changed our lives for sure, but all for the better! I never understood it before when people said their lives were complete because of certain situations, but I can sit here & honestly & securely say, my life was complete the day that beautiful girl was born! She scared us quite a bit those first few days, but has brought us great joy from day one.

Home for the day!

2011-07-24T20:44:00.006-04:00

Two weeks ago, Darcy, Rhianna, Oscar, Kieran (Rhianna's boyfrined), Chris, the girls and I went to Illinois for the day. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. Darcy called me on Friday to see if I would want to go. Originally we were going to stay the night at our Uncle Bill's but Jillian didn't really want to do that, so we just went for the day. We had a great tme!! It felt like being at home. I loved every minute of it. We started off swimming...

Then we headed back to the campsite to eat. We had some hot dogs & smores. Granny & mom came out to see how things were going & to see if the campground had changed since the last time they had been out there. Which it hadn't changed too much.

Carleigh wasn't very happy that she couldn't crawl around everywhere. LOL

Then Jillian went fishing for the first time. It was slightly frustrating, but I tried not to let it get to me too bad. Jillian had some nibbles, but that was all. I think she really liked doing it though. We will have to do it again.

Then we decided to go into Goodwine & play on the train tracks a little. Chris stayed back at the campsite to take a little nap. But we put some coins on the tracks & waited for a train to smoosh them. Everyone but me & Carleigh tried to walk down to the old bridge, but it was pretty grown over so I didn't want to take Carleigh. There was also still the old caboose that they went on to take pictures. A couple of trains did go by, so I think all the kids did get a smooshed coin to bring home.

Then we went back to camp where Chris & jillian did a little more fishing.

Then the Holland clan packed up & we started on our way home.

2011-07-11T22:22:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I have blogged.. We haven't necessarily been busy, but haven't really just been sitting around either. I think we have had something to do every weekend, that is for sure. I just wish I could remember what we have done......

Judy came in to town for a week. She stayed with us for the first couple of days. Jillian was so happy to see her & Carleigh warmed up to her right away. Which is a little surprising because she is pretty "stranger" resistant recently. Jillian didn't want to stay home with her on that Monday though, so Carleigh stayed home with her for a little bonding time. Judy went down to Greensburg for some of the week & then to Rick & Shelley's for the rest of her visit. We went down there on Saturday to say goodbye to Judy & Tara because she was going over seas for a trip.

Chris, Tara & Jillian hanging out at Rick & Shelley's

Grandma Juju teaching Jillian how to play T-ball.

Jillian hitting the ball. I love the look of surprise on her face.

Jillian "running" the bases.

I will have to figure out what we have done since then & catch up on my blog later.

2011-06-05T22:03:00.009-04:00

We went down to Brooke & Steve's on Memorial Day weekend. There was big wheel riding,
Basketball playing,
And a whole heck of a lot of fun in the sun.

We had good food, good drink (at least I did. haha) and a great time with the family. After most people left we stayed so Chris & Steve could play cards later. I loved sitting out on the deck listening to the sound of the lake next door to their house. It brought back great memories of being out at camp when I was younger. By the time I got back into the house, the kids & Brooke were asleep watching Sprout. So, I went out to the garage & watched the men play cards (snore). We finally left around midnight I think.

Then this past Friday night, Jillian had a program at her school. She actually did a good job with participating in the singing this time.

Then on Saturday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday party. She was so excited beforehand!

We had a good time. By the time it was over though, we were exhausted. Brooke, the kids & Steve came over for a bit & then Steve stuck around to try to fix Chris's computer & for them to play cards. Chris poured me some wine for me to relax, and then another and then another......and that was about all I remember. LOL.

Sunday, the girls & I hung out at home while Chris golfed. Carleigh ate her first "finger" food by herself.
I had to clean her up real fast in the sink. So.......
That meant I had to clean Jillian up in the sink too.

Tomorrow Jillian goes to the doctor for her 4 year checkup. I am notlooking forward to her flipping out about it. She doesn't even know yet, figured it would be better to wait til tomorrow for the freak out. I have been telling her the next time we go to the dr it will be so they can make sure she is big enough for the rides at Holiday World. Let's hope that softens the blow. It may be ok until she figures out she will be getting shots :(

2011-05-27T11:44:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, Jillian and I went to a cake decorating class. We had a good time. Jillian really seemed to like it.

Jillian icing her cake.

Jillian rolling out the fondant.

Jillian's final product.

My cake & Jillian's cake.

Jillian sacked out on the couch. She kept saying she wasn't tired & a few minutes later, there she lay. LOL.

Carleigh playing in her exersaucer.

My happy girl Carleigh.

On May 14th Dana's friend, Stacy & I threw her a baby shower. Good thing we did because she had her baby, Blake Aaron was born 9 days later. She was 35 weeks along, but he was 5lb 14oz. 19.5 inches long. Can't imagine how big he would be if she went full term. He is such a cute baby!! He had to stay in the hospital for about 2 weeks, but they finally got home yesterday! I wish them the best of luck.

Dana at her baby shower.

Baby shower decor.

Yummy cupcake tower.

Mother's Day

2011-05-27T10:35:00.005-04:00

We had a great Mother's Day.

Me & Carleigh.

My girls & I.

Jillian & I

My granny had mentioned awhile ago, I guess to my mom that she had never rode in a limo. So, my mom decided it would be fun to get one for her. We tried to go to Olive Garden, but it was too busy. So we headed over to TGIF. They had a wait by the time we got over there too, so we decided to just sit seperately. Service was very slow, but it was good food!

Jillians first ride in a limo.

Aunt Peggy& Aunt Sally in the limo.

Rhianna, Granny, Darcy, Mom & Oscar in the limo.

Jillian & Oscar in the limo.

Jillian using her manners while she eats her salad at lunch. LOL.

Then we headed downtown just to see the sights. Jillian was in awe of the buildings. She just kept looking up, pointing & exclaiming "mommy look." It actually brought tears to my eyes to see her. We drove by Jillians restaraunt. And she thought it was so cool to see her name up in lights.

Jillian AMAZED by the sights down town.

Then after downtown we were going to drive by the track. We decided to make a pit stop by Long's donuts. The line was out the door, but Darcy waited in line for the yummiest donuts around. And boy were they worth the wait. It was so good! Then we drove by the track & headed home. Our limo driver was great especially for the group we had. lol.

Family after the limo ride.

It was a very nice Mother's Day. I love my family & am so glad we could spend another Mother's Day together.

Carleighs 9 mth checkup

2011-05-15T20:56:00.004-04:00

Carleigh went to the doctor last Tuesday. She weighed 19lbs 9 oz which means she is in the 65%. Her height was 29 inches which is in the 92%. I'm not quite sure I agree with that though. She doesn't seem to be that tall, but we will just have to go with what they say. LOL. He head is 18 inches which is 91%. Jillian at her age was off the charts for her weight. Haha. Other than that, I think there were pretty comparable, especially the big head. The doctor said Carleigh had dropped in %% in weight since her 6 months, but not enough to be concerned. She is caught up, I think pretty well with her development. She wouldn't stand on her feet for the doctor, but she said maybe it was because she was so mad. She is standing on her feet just fine when we hold her up & when she is in her exercauser. We think she is going to crawl anyday now. She is getting up on her hands & knees & rocking all the time. Twice today she picked up her knee, but then she fell over. So, I don't think it will be very long. She is already all around the place as it is, let alone if she starts to crawl. She has been pretty cranky these past few days. She has 2 teeth coming in at the same time. One on top & one on bottom. So, I guess that is the reason. Hopefully, it gets better soon. So I have my sweet, laid back baby back. Her sister gives me enough grief, I need a laid back one. LOL.

I need to write about the great Mothers Day that we had last week. But that will have to be another time.

Floor fun & Carleighs first ice cream

2011-05-06T21:25:00.003-04:00

Daddy feeding Carleigh ice cream.
Daddy feeding Carleigh ice cream

Carleigh reaching for the ice cream.

2011-05-01T20:42:00.004-04:00

Chris & I have been married for 5 years & 2 days as of today! Our anniversary was on Friday. Chris bought me roses, but we didn't do anything because we had a babysitter for Saturday night. So, I actually went out with Ellen & the kids Friday night. We had yummy dinner at La Haciendas & then I went back to her house & hung out in her bed.
Saturday, the girls & I went over to Shannon's house so Jillian & Ray could play together. They get along well & are so cute together. Then I took the girls down to Darcy's so Chris & I could go to dinner. We had a nice time & then went out for a couple of drinks afterwards. We laid in bed today together until 11:00 ish. I have no idea when the last time was I did that. Honestly, I am glad I don't do it anymore. The day went by too fast & I don't feel like I had much energy even though I got more sleep than I have in a very long time. Both girls seemed happy to come home.
Carleigh has cut one of her bottom teeth & is working on a top one. And boy has she been cranky!She is getting up on her knees & rocking back & forth, so she may be crawling soon. She goes for her 9 month check up on Tuesday. I am interested to see if she is still a little behind her milestones or if she is finally catching up. And to see how she compares size wise with what Jillian was at her age.
Jillian has been worse than normal when it comes to bed time these past 2 nights. She fights falling asleep. She was crying & screaming tonight because she couldn't get a booger out of her nose. LOL. But kept saying she wasn't crying because she was tired, but not 10 minutes later she fell asleep cuddling with me. I loved that, she hasn't done that with me for ages!! She does drive me nuts though when it comes to bed time. Very frustrating & exhausting. The rest of the time, she is a great little girl. She has to go get some dental work done on the 13Th of May at the hospital because she has some cavities, but won't let the dentist get anywhere near her. So, they will use some anesthesia to knock her out, get it all done at once & she won't be anymore freaked out about the dentist than she already is!

lots of pics

2011-04-24T19:43:00.007-04:00

We have been busy. Here are some pictures to show our many adventures this past month:

One of my favorite pictures of Carleigh
Ray & Jillian at the Zoo. Looking at Meerkats.
Nana & Jillian with their Easter egg craft.
Jillian laying on daddy's chest like she did as a baby.
Jillian before "Beach Day" at school.
Rhianna & Darcy before she got dressed for prom.

Rhianna & Granny
Rhianna & Nana.
Love this look. He accidentally touched her hair as she was de-haring him.
Rhianna, Kieran & Darcy before prom.
Kieran & Rhianna.
Rhianna, Kieran & I.
Carleigh Easter morning.
Jillian Easter morning.
Jillian dying Easter eggs.
Jillian making Carleigh smile in the bath.
Jillian & Carleigh during bath time.
Jillian giving Carleigh a kiss.
Jillian playing on the computer.
Jillian & Carleigh sitting in the chair.
Jillian is teething, so she is chewing on her bunny.

Carleigh is finally rolling over & doing a great job sitting up. She has one tooth that has broken through with another one of the way in, we think. She is a cutie! She has had an ear infection these past few weeks. She goes back a week from this Tuesday to check her ear & for her 9 month check up. I can't beleive she is already almost 9 months old!
Jillian is the same old Jillian. Smart as a firecracker & a cutie like her sister! She does not like to sleep though & it drives me crazy!!

2011-04-14T21:33:00.001-04:00

Things that Jillian has done that makes me laugh in the past few months,

Told me "yes ma'am" and saluted me.

Begs to stay awake longer. She negotiates it actually "mom, I'll settle down, i won't talk, I'll be quiet, please mommy, please mommy."

sat up with her legs crossed & lectured me on how I didn't cover her up well enough one night with her hands flying in the air.

at volleyball game she kept waving her finger at me & standing with her hip cocked out telling me that she was a big girl. and she could do what ever she wanted to do.

she was laying in the bed with carleigh. i told jillian to come to the end of the bed to get dressed. she told carleigh "I'll be right back carleigh. i have to get dressed. i know you like me honey, i like you too, but i have to get dressed. I'll be right back.

she told Carleigh she had to go eat. Carleigh must have asked her where she was going because Jillian told her it would be ok, she would just eat in bed & not go anywhere.

She has been telling me that she doesn't want to be at school because she has to take naps & she doesn't like taking naps. She is constantly telling me she doesn't want to sleep.

She plays with our ears when she is sleepy (one of my absolute favorite things about her)

She was grooming her rocking horse with a wet wash cloth & her comb. At first her name was Katie. Now it is Runner Fast. When I said I thought that sounded like an Indian name, she said "No, mommy, it is a horses name." Duh, mommy!

I was talking to her at dinner one night & she told me "Mommy, I don't know what you are talking about." With her hand up in the air like "what the heck??" Chris could barely keep himself from laughing out loud.

In the car, if Carleigh is starting to get upset, she will do whatever she can to try to calm her down. Tonight she was saying "dada, dada. momma, momma. jillian, jillian." Or she will act like she is going to sneeze to get Carleigh to laugh.

When Carleigh does something new, Jillian gets so excited & hollars for Chris & I to look at her. And she always tells Carleigh what a good job she is doing.

She is very into family right now. She wants the family to do everything together. Favorite thing to do is cuddle on the couch with her family.

I told her before we went to the video store that she was NOT getting candy & that we were only getting a movie. She understood, but when we got there she said "mommy, i changed my mind. I just want candy now." That didn't happen.

I love to listen to her laugh at movies. I just love the fact that she understands the movie.

She has been telling me a lot that I am cute. But she has also been telling me I am mean whenever she doesn't get her way.

chris figured out that when she says she misses her nana, that is pretty much her way of not telling us she is tired even though she is.

I should write down everyday what she says that cracks me up. These are just a few...I could go on & on. I will have to keep track of more.

2011-04-04T22:21:00.003-04:00

The pictures below of Jillian & Dane are from a couple of weekends ago. We went down to Brooke & Steves so Jillian & Dane could play together & Steve & Chris could play their card game. Chris & I were hoping it would wear Jillian out & she would sleep well the next night. Of course, that didn't happen! Ugh. The girl just doesnt like to sleep. But anyway. We had a good time. Brooke cooked a great dinner & I am had some good wine. LOL. Dane & Jillian thinking I am a horse. We had a great weekend this past weekend too. Friday night, Chris, the girls & I went to Chili's for dinner. At Jillians request. She said she wanted a salad, quesadilla & corn on a stick (they put corn on the cob on a stick. lol). We had a good time & both girls were very good. Carleigh started getting tired so instead of having dessert there, we went to DQ. Yummy!!! Saturday, Chris went golfing down in Mooresville, leaving me home with the girls. I wasn't necessarily looking forward to it because he was supposed to be gone all day. So after jillian's rest time, we headed down to Toys R Us. Honestly, that is only the second time I have taken both girls somewhere together. The first time was with Darcy to Metropolis & I am so glad she went with me that day! We went down for a birthday gift for Xion & I knew Jillian would want something (I mean it IS a toy store afterall). She picked out a lot of things she wanted, but all were too "big" of gifts for just a trip to the toy store. She ended up wanting paint. So we bought some washable paints, paintbrushes & a smock to wear: She really enjoyed painting. She painted both Saturday & Sunday. Toys R Us had movies 2 for $12.00 & when I asked if she wanted to buy a couple, she said "no I just want my paint." So I got away from there pretty cheap. And now I have pretty art scattered all over my kitchen drying.
Chris ran to Walgreens for some medicine for him & he bought Jillian a new Dora puzzle. She wanted him to help her put it together, but I think she pretty much did it all by herself (she is really good with puzzles).

Then while I was fixing dinner, she came & arranged the chairs at the table so we were all 3 sitting on the same side of the table & very close to each other. I don't know why I like this picture so much, but I do. She sure likes her daddy!!

Then here is just a picture of Carleigh. She is such a sweet happy baby. I can't imagine my life without her in it. I know Jillian was a happy baby, but I really don't remember her being this happy!

Circus, Museum,park & home

2011-03-22T20:39:00.009-04:00

Jillian eating cotton candy at the circus.

Tigers at the circus.
Jillian riding the car at the Dora exhibit.
Jillian & Brooklyn climbing the rock wall at the musuem.
Jillian on a plane to Egypt at the musuem.

Jillian & Brooklyn on an alligator in Egypt.
Jillian on the carosel at the museum.

Jillian on the couch with daddy.
Jillian giving me the thumbs up at the park.
Ray being a little bit of a daredevil.
Jillian swinging at the park.
Ray at the park
Jillian playing the drums.
Carleigh smiling.
Carleigh sticking her tongue out at me.
Jillian showing Carleigh how to play the drums.
Carleigh being such a happy baby!!

Today

2011-03-04T21:33:00.004-05:00

Jillian and I went to the Murat Shrine Circus today. She was so very excited. She has had a fever off and on for the past couple of nights so I was afraid she wouldn't be able to go. I told her this while I was rocking her this morning at 4:00 a.m. She got so upset. I'm glad we got to go. I bought her cotton candy & Pastor John bought everyone popcorn. I also bought her a sword that lights up (can we say spoiled??). She wanted to leave early cause she wanted to go home, so I think she got a little bored. We ended up going back to school for the assessment of Carleigh. She ate lunch at school & then we came home. She didn't take a nap and fell asleep before 9:00 listening to Kenny Chesney on my iPod.
I found out today that she can count to 10 in English (obviously), Spainish & German! They are starting to learn how to count in French now too. She does a great job doing them. What a smart cookie. She told me last night she wanted french fries with her McDonalds & said "i will actually eat them." Which she didn't. When I asked her last night how she felt she said "i certainly feel fine." Maybe they are learning adjectives in school too beause she has used them a lot this week. LOL

Carleigh had her physical therapy assessment today. The ladies were really nice & said they didn't think she needed physical therapy at this time. They told us what we should do with her to get her up to speed. Mainly just to make sure she gets more floor time. And put things out of her reach so she has to reach for them which will help. They asked a lot of questions on what she can do. Which, she can do most of the things they asked, just not rolling over really or sitting up on her own. But she has gotten better at pushing up when on her belly. Even Mrs. Lori at school said she has noticed an improvement. She said they would also put her on her back because she didn't like being on her belly, but after we mentioned to them that she needed more belly time, they have been putting her on her belly & just letting her "cry it out." She has started to be a little happier on her belly too. Her head is flat, but at least she is a girl & her hair can cover it. Last night, we had Dr. Bozic take a look at a spot on her gum because it is white & seems to have gotten bigger. He said it is an Epstein Pearl, it is rare & should go away when she gets her baby tooth in that spot. She is so laid back & so happy, but I think that little girl is going to keep us on our toes :)

Girls Weekend

2011-02-27T20:54:00.011-05:00

We had a great time on our girls trip. We left after work on Friday to head down to Louisville. We got to the hotel & didn't go anywhere after we got settled. Saturday we got up & made our way down to the Jim Beam distillery.

Jim Beam distillery

Jim Beam distillery/tours

Booker Noe.

Barrels & Barrels of Jim Beam

It wasn't as neat as Jack Daniels was, but we got to taste test 2 Jim Beam products. That made the short tour worth it. LOL. They are building a new visitors center that is opening next Spring. The tour will then take you around to actually see how Jim Beam is made. This tour just took you into the house they lived in for awhile & then into the storage unit. It was still pretty neat to see, but I think it would be worth a try to go next year when they do more of an extensive tours. The first Jim Beam sample burnt going down, but the second one, Red Stag, was much better. I bought some yummy Bourbon cherries.
On the way home, we stopped by the JcPenneys outlet store. I think we were in there for HOURS! I think we all got some good deals though.
Then we went back to the hotel & got ready to go out for the night.

Darcy & I

Laura & I

We went out to Asian Moon for some sushi.

Laura trying Sushi for the first AND last time :)

Laura made a valiant effort & tried some sushi, but she didn't like it. Luckily, they had some regular Chinese food that she could try. After we ate, we headed down to Fourth Street Live.

Fourth Street Live.

We ended up at a bar, not sure of the name. We had a good time. I had a blast people watching. It was a very interesting place to do that. I laughed a lot at the people there. Darcy & I danced for quite awhile. We ended up getting up on stage at one point in time because they were giving away free shots if you were up on stage. I am all for free, so I jumped up there. We had a good time. I didn't realize I was feeling the alcohol until we walked over to CVS & I was joking with the cashiers. We headed back to hotel (Laura drove since she didn't drink as much as Darcy & I). We got up on Sunday & headed home. Short, but sweet. A no stress weekend where we did whatever came our way. I'm ready to do it again!!

week/weekend overview

2011-02-20T22:37:00.009-05:00

Misc. pictures from the week:

Daddy reading to Jillian.

This week at work was kind of crazy. You could definitely tell it was a full moon:

The First Steps representative came out to my work on Wednesday to just get information about our family & to schedule an assessment. They will do it on Carleigh on March the 4th at daycare. I actually have that day off anyway to take Jillian to the circus with school. So, it works out. Chris was going to be there anyway, but I am glad I get to be there too. I'm glad Chris is going to be there just because he worries so much, he will at least hear the information first hand.

Friday night, Chris took us girls out to O'Charleys for dinner. Carleigh fell asleep & Jillian did really well. I told Chris we need to have a family dinner out once a month or something. We had to wait about 20 mins for a table, but Jillian did well waiting. I got out of work late that Friday, so I figure if we go out again, we will get there earlier. Dinner was delicious! I went way off my "lifestyle" change, but it was worth it.

Saturday, we didn't even leave the house other than Jillian & I going for a walk around the block. I got DVR on Saturday!! Yippee!! I know that makes some of my co-workers very happy. It seems pretty cool & easy to use. After the cable guy left, Jillian & I walked around the block & went to look at the ducks. I thought maybe I would wear her out. I think I did a pretty good job because she went to bed pretty easily. She even pushed her little baby stroller & baby around the block with us. Oh, and after dinner, the girls & I met Ellen & Mandy at DQ for a little dessert. Then after Jillian went to bed, I went to Target for some alone time.

Jillian & Carleigh on Saturday morning.

Big sister & little sister.

Carleigh getting floor time.

Jillian coloring. If you look close enough, you can see her tongue sticking out. This just makes me smile. I do the same thing. :)

Today, Chris & Jillian went to Walmart together. I stayed home & tried to pick up a little because this house is a mess & it is driving me nuts!! After Jillians "nap" we went down to my mom & grandma's apartment for a little bit. Jillian was very excited to see Nana. Darcy came over for a bit too & Jillian helped make Granny's bed with Darcy. She was so proud of herself. We came home, Jillian played a computer game while I made manicotti. While that cooked we took a bath, ate, watched a little TV & it was bed time.
So, all in all, it was a pretty non eventful weekend. But a much needed non eventful weekend. Tomorrow will be crazy at work (most schools are out for Presidents Day), but this weekend is my girl trip. It is so needed. I just want to sleep in & not hear "mommy, mommy, mommy" every 5 minutes. Funny thing though......I'm sure I will miss it while I am gone.

Weekend

2011-02-13T22:35:00.003-05:00

Friday, we didn't see patients, so I went to work for a few hours & then went with Dana to register for her baby boy, Blake. We had a good time. Friday night, the girls & I went to Taco Bell. I gave in to Jillian & we went inside. I think she just likes to people watch. She actually ate more of my Mexican Pizza than I did. But I wasn't going to complain. I got it, hoping she would like it. I think it would be easier for her to eat than her taco. She flips out if the filling falls out. Besides, not much at Taco Bell is weight watcher friendly.
Saturday, we got up & headed down to my mom's to celebrate Oscar's 11th birthday. We actually hung out there longer than I thought we would. Mainly because my husband likes to torture Rhianna as often as possible. Her boyfriend was picking her up at nana's & Uncle Chris wanted to meet him. He had Rhianna so scared of embarrassing her. Chris has loved giving Rhianna a hard time, I think, since day one. When Kieran (sorry if spelled wrong) got there, something was said about Chris & he said he had been warned. Chris actually didn't really say much. We gave them a little bit of a hard time about making sure they knew where babies come from, but nothing too awful. Jillian actually hid between my grandma's chair & her oxygen machine. Rhianna had to "dig" her out just to say goodbye. Rhianna is a very sweet beautiful girl, hope he treats her well & she doesn't get in over her head. She has a very bright future in front of her.
After my mom's we headed down to Franklin to visit Bob & Lana. Lana had had kidney stones & had to have 2 surgeries & this was the first chance we have had to get down & see them. She is doing better now. A little slow going, but understandable after being down for 2 weeks. We hung out there for a little bit & then went to Chili's with them. I am truly blessed with great in laws. I actually wish we lived closer to them, maybe sometime in the future.
After Chili's we headed to Brooke & Steve's church to watch Tara & Steve play volleyball. I watched for a lllittle bit & from what I saw Tara is really good (Steve may be good too, but I was paying attention to Tara). But I mainly walked the halls with Jillian & Carleigh. When the game was over, we went to Brooke & Steves. Chris, Steve & Jim played cards while I watched Jillian & Dane & Brooke took Tara home. We left about midnight. Jillian was still awake!! She fell asleep less than a mile away from their house.
Today, Jillian wanted to play my ipod, so I went to get it out of my purse, that was supposed to be in my car. Key word, supposed to be. I left it down at Brooke & Steve's. UGH!! I had so many things to do today & driving back down to Franklin was not on the list. Oh well. It was a nice day for a mini road trip by myself. Then I stayed down there for over an hour chatting with Brooke. Since she took Tara home last night, we didn't get much of a chance to talk. Came home, got Jillian & went to Walmart. Came home & tried to get some of my list of stuff done.
No big plans this week or weekend. The weekend after next, I am going on a girls trip with Darcy & Laura. WOOHOO. Can't wait!!

Carleigh 6 month check up

2011-02-08T22:18:00.003-05:00

Carleigh turned 6 mths on Friday! Today she had her 6 mth check up. She weighs 17.9 which is 79%. Her height is 26 1/4 which is 76% & her head in 17 1/2 inch. which is 93%. Big head must run in one of our families because both of our kids have large heads. She isn't concerned it doesn't seem with Carleighs head the way she was with Jillians, so that is good. BUT, she is concerned with Carleighs muscle tone. She has asked us to get an assessment by a physical therapist. She said she doesn't think that it is anything medically wrong. But at her age, Carleigh should be rolling over, putting weight on her feet & sitting up. Which she did roll over from her belly to her back, but dr said that was the easiest way to roll over & her big head probably helped (yes the dr actually said that. lol). When she tried to get Carleigh to put weight on her legs, she kind of slumped her shoulders & she should be more rigid. She didn't sit up well at all, but she was getting mad, so I think that hindered the sitting up part. She has sat up a little here at home. It isn't really a bad thing, I don't think. I'm a little sad & concerned and if you know Chris, you know he is sad & concerned. I figure it can just be a little exercise for the chunker butt. And who knows, they may do her assesment & say she is fine. I meet with the lady this Wednesday to fill out paperwork. So, we will see.
She has started eating baby food. And she loves it. She is eating at least 2 jars at a time. She opens her mouth so wide for the next spoonful. And then gets upset if we don't shovel it in faster. She is sleeping pretty well through the night depending on when we feed her last before we go to bed. Her teacher at school said she is the most laid back baby they have there. I hope that lasts because Jillian is so not laid back. Drama queen at 3!!!

Just pics.

2011-02-06T22:17:00.002-05:00

The girls on the Dora couch. The girls in the kitchen.
Carleigh enjoying tummy time.
Carleigh full & happy.
Carleigh being fed cereal & apples by daddy.

2011-02-05T21:07:00.003-05:00

Life around here has been a little crazy. I got a call from daycare on Wednesday January 19 stating Carleigh threw up & had a fever. I left work & I went to pick her up. I took Jillian to daycare on Thursday, but snuck Carleigh home with me for the day. She had a slight fever on Thursday during the day, but it got up to 101.6 later that evening. So, she had to stay home with me again Friday because they have to be fever free for 24 hours. Jillians teacher told me Jillian kept asking to go see Carleigh on Thursday & she just told her Carleigh was sleeping. On Friday, I just told her I was taking Carleigh to the doctor & she didn't ask anymore questions. She didn't have a fever at all on Friday. We were going to have Lana watch her on Friday, but it started snowing too bad to take Carleigh down there.
Saturday we met up with Chris's family at BW3's for his birthday. Service was slow, but food & company were good. Afterwards, Chris, the girls & I went down to Brooke & Steve's so Chris & Steve could play their card game. The kids had a great time as usual. Jillian & I fell asleep on the couch. When Chris was carrying Jillian out to the car she started yelling "My Carleigh" because we had left Carleigh in the house just until we got Jillian situated in the car. She thought we were leaving "her Carleigh" there. Isn't that sweet??
Sunday, Chris's birthday, we didn't really do much. Just hung out at home. Then he went out of town for Mon, Tues & Wed to try & get a management position at work. My office was closed those days because one of the doctors had Salmonella poisoining. Thursday I worked & Friday, Carleigh had yet another fever!! So I had to miss work again. I only worked 40 physical hours for the past 2 weeks! Goodness gracious!! I took Carleigh to the doctor & of course, it she was diagnosed with just a cold. Her fever went away after her afternoon nap, go figure.
That night, Dana & I went to a Tastefully Simple party at Laura's. Saturday, the girls & I went to Jessica's baby shower & then just hung out at home. Chris went & played indoor golf. Sunday, Darcy & I drove to Effingham to pick up my grandma. We had a good time.
Monday went well, Tuesday daycare was closed because of an ice storm. We worked til 12:00ish, Chris stayed home with the girls. Dr. Thompson bought Ellen, Shannon & I lunch because we were the first ones there. We went to On the Border & it was delicious!! Completely went off my "lifestyle" change, but it was well worth it. Wednesday work AND daycare were closed due to the ice, so I stayed home with the girls. Dana came over & watched the girls for a little bit while Chris & I went & got our taxes done. I felt like crap Thursday, but feel better today. We actually have had NO plans this weekend. Chris went & helped my mom & grandma put together a lift chair, Jillian & I went to Walmart, but I don't think we will even leave the house tomorrow.
Well, I have rambled on quite a bit. I need to do this more often so it isn't so long eachtime I do it. Oh well!!

Add on: guess I should have read my previous blog before I started writing this one. LOL. OOPPS.

2011-01-19T21:37:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, the girls & I went down to my mom & grandma's apartment to celebrate my mom's birthday. Jillian picked out a cake that had a Strawberry Shortcake decoration on it & Dora plates/napkins/party blowers for her. She was so excited to have a party. We had a good time. Rhianna had a double date to go on & the boy picked her up at the apartment. My mom & I made her bring him in so we could meet him. He seemed like a nice kid. Rhianna is such a sweet girl. I had to throw my 2 cents in before he picked her up to make sure she knows "how babies are made." I don't think we really did anything on Sunday, that I can remember.
On Wednesday morning, Carleigh threw up like a fountain while I was feeding her at 6:00 am. She had just done that to her teacher a couple of weeks ago, so I didn't think anything about it. I got a call from her teacher after lunch that she had a fever. So, I went & picked her up. She has to be fever free 24 hrs before she can go back, so that meant no school on Thursday. She then had a fever on Thursday, so that ruled out Friday. Her fever never got over 100.7, but she did throw up on Thursday before I took Jillian to school. I think it may just be teething, but there is some nasty stuff going around school, so who knows. I enjoyed spending 2 days with just her. Thankfully I have my vaca/sick days back, so it really wasn't a big deal. Grandma Lana was going to take care of her on Friday, but we go a lot of snow on Thursday & I didn't want to have to chance Lana either coming up here or Chris taking Carleigh down there. So, darn it, I had to stay home another day. LOL
Saturday, Chris went to Walmart for me (Love him!!!). Then we went to BW3's with Chris's family for his birthday. Afterwards, we went down to Brooke & Steve's so Chris & Steve could play cards together. We had a good time. I love the fact that Jillian has a cousin her age to play with. They get along most of the time. When they aren't it is just because they are 3 year olds. Brooke & Dane fell asleep in the chair & Jillian & I fell asleep on the couch close to 11:00. We left shortly afterwards.
Today, is Chris's 42nd birthday. I know, I am married to an old man. LOL. We haven't really done anything. I made Chili & that was about the highlight of the day. Woo hoo.
I have a very busy weekend planned next weekend. Tastefully simple party on Friday, baby shower on Saturday & picking up Granny in Effingham on Sunday. Hopefully I will have some time to blog. Jillian says things on a daily basis that makes me laugh & want to kill her, so I need to blog about her. I have some pictures below of just misc things.

Carleigh playing with her toys.

Jillian watching Dora on her laptop while relaxing on her Dora couch in her bedroom.

Carleigh in her first big girl bath!

Jillian & Carleigh in the bathtub.

The girls & I hanging out in bed last Sunday.

Jillian picked out her own outfit. And was pretending to be a mommy.

2011-01-05T20:30:00.007-05:00

We had a great weekend. Thursday night, Chris went down to Brooke & Steve's to play "Magic" after Jillian went to bed. And had some good wholesome nerd time. LOL. Friday, we got up, went to Kohl's & Walmart. I had bought Chris shoes at Kohl's for Christmas, but they were too small. So, we returned those & bought some other things. There wasn't a cart readily available, so Jillian just walked...boy was that a mistake! She was all over the place! Definitely felt like a mom who had no control of her child. She was barely listening to Chris either. UGH!! Then we
went to Walmart, without much incident (Jillian was in the cart). We did our grocery shopping & then went home. After nap time, we got ready & drove down to Franklin. We ate at Bob Evans. Then we dropped the girls off at Brooke & Steve's. We ran back home so Chris could take a shower & get ready to go to Mark & Annie's :

Me and Chris on New Years Eve.

Mark on New Years Eve at their house.

Annie on New Years Eve at their house.

Chris at Mark & Annie's New Years Eve party.

We had a good time from what we can remember. Haha. I took Jager punch (5th of Jager & 2 liters of Hawaiian Punch). And boy did it have a punch! It hit me very hard & very quickly. I ended up on their bathroom floor before midnight:

Annie was nice enough to cover me up with a blanket. Mark thinks it was a table cloth, but it was a blanket. I eventually made my way to their spare bedroom & laid down on the bed. Chris came up at some point & laid with me until 5:00 a.m. When we woke up, he kept saying how he had lost 5 hours of his life because he didn't remember coming up & laying with me. It was quite funny! I was sober by that time (helps when you throw up & pass out for 5 hrs), so we came home. And slept for a few hours.

Chris on New Years Day.

I then got up & went & picked up the girls. They were both good at Brooke & Steve's. So glad Jillian & the boys get along well. On our way home, I stopped by to see my mom, Granny & Aunt Sally. We had a nice visit. Then we just hung out at home that night. I went & rented some movies & after Jillian went to bed we watched "Going the Distance." It was pretty funny. On Sunday, we finished taking down the tree & cleaned up a little. Chris made chili & we watched the Colts. So, like I said, we had a good weekend. As a family and as a couple.

I included this picture of Carleigh because she was too cute. And it was one of the first times in her excersaucer.

2010-12-30T20:28:00.011-05:00

Wooh,it took forever to download these pictures. And there are plenty of them, so I'm not going to write much. We had a great Christmas though! Hoping to have a great New year too. Will try to get better at writing.

Carleigh. Looking so very cute!

Jillian & Carleigh in front of the tree.

In her little sister pj's.

Jillian in her big sister pjs

Cousins at Greensburg Christmas.
Super wedge! Our daughter is goofy.
Me & Jillian down at Greensburg.
Tara holding or looking like she is going to drop Carleigh.
Jillian & Sarah in her new Molly the Monkey tent.

Great-Granny & Carleigh at Darcys for Christmas.

Jillian, Carleigh, me & Granny at Darcys for Christmas

Me, Darcy & Granny

Jillian & Carleigh before we went to the Holland side of Christmas. Daddy picked out Jillians dress.

Jillian scooping out cookie dough for cookies for Santa.

Jillian snuggling up in her sleeping bag.

Jillian playing with her play do

Jillian playing with her Barbie toys.

Carleigh & Daddy hanging out on the couch on christmas day.

Carleigh.

Jillian & Carleigh hanging out on her new Dora couch watching TV.

Our Sugar cookie in the shape of a gingerbread man. Turned out better than our gingerbread house.

2010-12-19T22:04:00.003-05:00

We have been so busy. I have pictures to post, but it is late & my computer takes forever to download them.

A couple of weeks ago, Darcy came over & watched the girls while Chris & I went to see Peacetrain & stay at a hotel. What a great gift from Darcy. Chris & I definitely needed to get away for awhile. And by staying at a hotel, we could drink & sleep in, which I never get to do! I actually slept off & on til 10:30 on Sunday morning. Woo hoo. We met up with Paul, Mark & Annie. It is always great seeing Peacetrain & I love those 3 people, so it made the night even better. I did get slightly intoxicated, but thankfully, I didn't have much of a hangover.

We had Christmas in Greensburg on the 18th. We had a nice time. Jillian wasn't actually stuck up my rear like she normally is recently. She wore Britney out though. She still is talking about Britney. She got a pop up Monkey tent & absolutely loved it. She ended up staying up the whole time we were there. She finally fell asleep around 1:00 a.m. on the way home! She slept til 8:30. Then we went down to Darcys for my side of the families Christmas. We had a nice time there too. It was nice to have Granny here at Christmas time. I got Chris tickets to an IU game, so he stayed for awhile & then left to go to the game. He felt bad about leaving, but I told him he should go. He said it was a good game.

This week at work was a little crazy because we got new computers & there are still some bugs to work out. Unfortunately, I'm the one that has to deal with the bugs & I am not enjoying it! We only saw patients on Wed & Thursday, but I was still quite stressed.

Thursday, we went down to Bob & Lana's for the Holland Christmas. As usual, we got lots of gifts & had a great time. Chris & I (w/girls) and Rick & Shelley (w/girls) stayed the night. We all drank quite a bit. Brooke & Steve (w/boys) went home though after awhile because his family was coming over the next day. So Brooke drank, but Steve didn't. We stayed up quite late down there too. I love hanging out with his family. Makes me enjoy this time of year even more. Jillian once again didn't go to sleep until 1:30ish. She was back up around 7:00! I still needed to shop for Chris so I asked her if she wanted to go to Walmart with me about 8:30 & she said no, so I ran out the door. LOL. I even forgot my wallet, had to go back to get it & she still didn't care that I left again! She has had a very snotty nose, so we gave her some medicine. Then we left around 11:30. She was either tired from the medicine or just worn out, but she fell asleep before we even left their neighborhood. We were asking her if she was ok & she was even whispering to us about whether she was ok or not. We got home, she was a little upset for a bit because I wouldn't lay with her & then she was out again for about 4 hours!! She has never slept that long. Then she got up & we made some cookies for Santa. She finally fell asleep around 10:00 so then Santa's helpers had to wrap his presents & put together some of the toys he got Jillian. We were up again til 1:00. She woke up at 8:30, but didn't seem as excited as she was last year. She got a pillow pet & said "look, Santa got me a pillow pet from Walmart." haha. Goofy girl. She played with everything she got at least once. I think she was very happy, but Chris said something just seemed off with her. Who knows! She has so much stuff I don't think she knows what to do with it all. She got a Dora couch & loves it.
I will post pictures of the last few weeks soon. Our house is a mess & it is driving me nuts, so I just need to get it clean before I post again!

Carleigh is 4 months!!

2010-12-07T21:35:00.002-05:00

Carleigh turned 4 months on Saturday! I can't believe it. The above isn't the best of pictures, but I took it real fast just so I could post. We went to the doctor yesterday for her 4 month check up. She said everything looked good! Carleigh weighs 15 lb 3.4oz which puts her in the 82%. Her height is 24 3/4 inches which puts her in the 69%. Her head is 16 3/4 which is 87%. She got shots too. I felt so sorry for her because she cried quite a bit. But I guess that is to be expected. When I went to pick up the girls, Jillian actually told me that Carleigh was sick & had been crying all day. So, I was a little anxious to go get her out of the infant room. Carleighs teacher, Ms. Traci, said Carleigh was her normal happy self! I don't know what Jillian was talking about, other than maybe the fact that she knew Carleigh was going to the doctor,s o she thought she was sick. Carleigh had a slight fever last night, but other than that, she has been her normal self! She is actually laying on the couch next to me snoring just a bit! When she sleeps, she turns her head a little to the side like she is cuddling in especially when we are holding her or she is in her glider or swing. And a lot of times she will spit out her pacifier & suck on her bottom lip or tongue. She is doing well with her head control & holds her head up when she is on her belly. She talks a lot & smiles even more. Tonight in her bath she was kicking her legs like crazy. Then she cuddled in my arms while Jillian & I watched Toy Story 2 in our bedroom. She definitely fits into our little family! I couldn't imagine life with another baby before I got pregnant with her & now there is no way I could think of life without her! She brings a lot of joy to all of our lives including Jillian! I think I will "top her off" with a bottle & go to bed! Goodnight!

2010-11-23T22:15:00.007-05:00

We have had some good couple of weeks. We have all had a cough, but doing ok. Here are some pics of the girls:

Carleigh during her bath.

Jillian & Carleigh after Carleighs bath.

Carleigh after her bath.

Jillian & I attempting to make a gingerbread house.

We went down to Brooke & Steves for the Holland Thanksgiving. We had a good time. Jillian ended up cleaning up Xion & Dane's rooms for them. I'm not sure why, but she was so proud of herself for doing it. We hung out there for most of the day. Both girls fell asleep on the way home. Jillian barely woke up even when Chris picked her up, took her potty & put her in bed. I laid with her for a few, but she probably didn't even know I was there. Here are some Thanksgiving Day pictures:

Papaw, Jillian & Carleigh on Thanksgiving.

Jillian "cheesing"

We didn't do anything really on Friday, other than taking some left overs down to my mom & grandmother. I did get up & do the whole Black Friday shopping thing with Ellen & Dana. I got up at 3:30 a.m. & was back home in bed by 6:30. Thankfully, Jillian was so tired she slept til 8:30, so I got 2 more hours of much needed sleep.

Then on Saturday, we got the Christmas tree down. Jillian pretty much put all the ornaments on by herself. I had to let my OCD tendencies go & let her do it. There are some ornaments on the same limb & most are really low, but she was having so much fun opening up each box of ornaments that I couldn't bring myself to tell her how to put them up. I figure they will get better each year.

Jillian decorating the tree.

Jillian decorating the tree all by herself.

Jillian & Carleigh in front of the Christmas tree.

Carleigh sitting in her Bumbo seat.

Jillian smiling at how well she is holding up her head while on her tummy.

2010-11-17T21:38:00.004-05:00

Life in the Holland household is a bit broke & a bit crazy, but we are very happy. I can't seem to keep the house clean or get to work on time, but I am loving being a mommy of 2.

Jillian is keeping us on our toes with her whit & attitude. She is 3 going on 13! Her memory amazes me on a daily basis. She remembers things from months ago like they happened yesterday! Or I can read a book to her once & she can almost recite the book the next night. She got upset yesterday when we first woke up because she was on one side of me & Carleigh was on the other & she couldn't cuddle with her. Then she sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to her & told her she was her best friend. She is constantly telling me that she loves me too. She definitely makes me feel loved on most days.

Carleigh is a sweetheart. She isn't sleeping through the night which is frustrating daddy, but I know it will eventually end, so I'm trying to take it in stride. Most nights I do a good job at it, but not every night. Chris & I are dragging on most days. She only really cries when she is hungry. She doesn't like being in a room by herself if she is awake. She smiles a lot at everyone especially daddy & Jillian. She "talks" to me often. They said today at school that she was laughing out loud. I'm hoping she is a little more of the laid back one out of the two girls.

Carleigh with a Mohawk (daddy's doing)

Jillian holding Carleigh.

This past weekend, Saturday we went nowhere other than going to Walmart. It was so nice! Chris ran down to my mom's house to help hook up her washer/dryer. While he was gone, Jillian & I made cookies. She, of course, wanted to roll out the dough & did a great job!

I made frosting & Jillian helped add the coloring. Her frosting turned out brown. She frosted a few cookies herself too. Maybe she will be the next Betty Crocker & take care of her mommy & daddy when she is older.

Sunday, the girls & I went to visit Brooke. We stopped by to see Rhianna at work at DQ. She looked cute in her uniform. LOL. I'm very proud of her. She is such a beautiful, sweet, good natured girl (other than normal teenage stuff). When we got down to Brooke's, Dane was so excited to see Carleigh. Steve said every time Dane sees a picture of a baby, he asks if it is Carleigh. Him & Jillian were "fighting" over who was going to hold her. Dane just kept coming up & touching her face. Very sweet.

This week has taken forever to get over. I'm ready for Thanksgiving & spending some time with the in laws. This weekend, I think my family is coming over to make cookies and/or candy. Gotta keep the tradition alive!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-09T20:55:00.005-05:00

The two pics below are of when Jillian & I were taking pictures of ourselves. She kept making funny faces when I would take a pic. She was cracking me up:

Carleigh hanging out in her swing

Our little reader. She also has a ton of books surrounding her. I just thought it was cute how she fell asleep with a book on her chest.

Carleigh smiling at her mommy.

Carleigh at 3 months

Jillian

2010-11-04T20:48:00.002-04:00

Let me start by explaining how Jillian's daycare works. She has 6 or so chances to get stickers for being good. If she is bad, she doesn't get a sticker & the teacher writes a little note on what she did to not get a sticker. If she doesn't get all of her stickers, then her punishment at home is to not get to watch TV for the night. Which means, she also goes to bed at 7:30, which is a half hour earlier than normal,(but since she can't tell time, she has no clue of that little artifact). She didn't get all her stickers at daycare of Monday because she was coloring on the cots at nap time (because another little girl was doing the same thing she said). Yesterday she didn't get all her stickers because she wasn't listening during nap time (she got in trouble last week for telling other kids to wake up during nap time, we obviously have a nap time problem). So, when I picked her up & saw her paper, I told her she knew there was no TV that night. The teacher told me that she wakes up at nap time & starts playing with other kids & doing what the other kids are doing. When I looked at Jillian to see her response, I noticed she had bags under her eyes!! Poor thing (is what I was thinking for a split second) She wasn't overly happy about no TV, but knows that is her punishment, so she didn't get too upset. Then we went into the infant room to get Carleigh...she kept trying to open the door before I was ready & wasn't listening to me, so I knew we were going to have a problem. Then she wanted to take Carleigh back into the gym area to show her off to her teacher & to her boyfriend. I had to get to Weight Watchers & I'm sure neither one of them really cared if they saw Carleigh. Well, that just trhew Jillian into a tizzy! She starts growling at me and whining & hitting herself in the leg with her fist. I got her into the car & she started kicking the back of my seat. Well, one of her shoes fell off & she wanted it. I told her it was an accident, so I would give it to her. Well, the next thing I knew her shoe came flying by my head & landed in the seat next to me. I told her I couldn't believe she had done that & BOOM, the other shoe was flying by my head. I tried very hard not to laugh because it was kinda funny. I told her she would now be getting a time out & would be going to bed even earlier than what she was going to originally. She flipped out! But by the time we got home, she had actually calmed down. Chris came out to get her & she sat in her time out very quietly. Then she went to bed at 7:00 and Chris said she was asleep by 7:30! She woke up at 6:30 and was a little cranky at first, but snapped out of it pretty quickly. We laid in bed & cuddled with Carleigh for a little bit. Then while I was getting ready she came & got me & told me to come look at this Walmart catalog. she said "Mommy come look at this. It is so adorable. And when you see it, you have to say 'Oh my' ". So I did. Then when it was time to leave to go to school, she said "Can we watch another Mickey Mouse?" I told her no, that we needed to leave for school. She said "That is not acceptable." OMG, she is 3 years old! She just comes up with the funniest things. She told Chris the other night that he did a great job cleaning up the garage. She also told me that I was a good pee-er & I did a good job pouring cat food into the bowl. LOL. So full of compliments. I love that little stinker!!

2010-11-01T21:26:00.007-04:00

Jillian & Carleigh on pajama day at school. I love these girls!!!!

We have been so busy especially on the weekends. A couple of weeks ago, Chris & I went out to dinner & then a haunted house with Dana/Danny & Dani/PJ. It was nice having a date night. Rhianna watched the girls & did a great job.

The next day, the girls & I went down to Darcy's to make apple pies. We had a nice time. Jillian enjoyed playing with Oscar & Rhianna & helping make the pies. Ashley (one of Darcy's step daughters) and Rhianna played with Carleigh too. The pies were delicious.

Darcy showing off her skills.

Jillian helping stir the apples.

Rhianna & Jillian. Two beautiful girls!

Jillian standing in front of Darcy's house.

Then we went down to Brooke & Steve's for Danes birthday party. We had a good time. It is always nice hanging out with the Holland side of the family. We stayed til around 9:00. Chris stayed to play cards with Steve. Boy did that upset Jillian. She howled "daddy" half of the way home & said she didn't like the moon, her favorite color pink or the pretty lights at the cemetery because she was "so upset" (her words, not mine). She finally fell asleep as did Carleigh, both girls slept the rest of the night!

The next day was when Darcy & I drove to Illinois (read previous blog).

This weekend was a little less busy, but we still ran around alot. Friday night, I took Jillian to a "trunk or treat" at a church down the street from us. Saturday, the girls & I went to a 31 party at Brooke's house. Then we, with Chris, went to Mooresville for a trick or treat "hike.". Jillian's personality has definitely come out recently. She had me roll down the window at Starbucks so she could ask the lady what her name was & proceeded to tell her we were going to Aunt Darcy's. She talked to two women at Walmart the other day. And when we went trick or treating in Mooresville, there was a guy laying in a coffin passing out Tootsie Rolls. Instead of being scared, Jillian went up to him & said "what are you doing in there?". She had quiet a few people on the "hike" laughing because she had sooo much personality.
Jillian loves Carleigh so much. It doesn't surprise me anymore when I hear Jillian telling Carleigh that she loves her. The infant teacher told Chris the other night that every time Jillian sees her, she asks how Carleigh is doing. AW WWW.
Carleigh has been smiling more & sleeping in her crib more too. She isn't sleeping consistently through the night, but it is better than every 3 hours.

Following are just some pictures of our lives the last couple of weeks. Carleigh getting some "tummy" time.

Jillian painting her pumpkin (she didn't want to carve it)

Carleigh at 12 weeks.

One of my favorite pictures. Chris loves sleeping with her & she just snuggles down with him & sleeps so well.
Jillian & Carleigh before trick or treating on Saturday.

Memories of Illinois

2010-10-29T07:17:00.003-04:00

Sunday, Darcy & I drove over to Illinois to pick up my mom's car. It was a nice trip. I thought I was going to run out of gas on 74, but thankfully, we made it to a gas station. As I was leaving, I realized, this would be the last time I made this trip until my grandma passes away. It made me really sad. I text Darcy that & told her making the trip with her was only right. We have made that trip so many times in my 34 years. So many great memories were made on that trip & after we made it to the destination. Whether she lived in her big house in Goodwine, or we were out at camp, or her tiny house in Hoopeston or even her Independent living apartment, great times & memories were shared. Those trips to Illinois partly made me who I am today. It always brought our family together. Lantern Road scared the crap out of us (and probably would still to this day). Camp made us good "fisher women". My grandma always said if we were going to be "fisher women" then we had to bait our own hook. It made us not afraid of swimming in a lake even if we couldn't see the fish.

And her house in Goodwine, oh that house!! I cried like someone had died when I found out they were selling it! The memories shared in that house are endless. We made hard candy there every year around Christmas & burnt the crap out of our fingers. I still say I probably don't have finger prints because the candy was so hot. I figured out Darcy should NOT be a hair dresser. She would love to do my hair in my grandma's beauty shop, but I didn't love the ending product. We would drink well water right from the well in their scary downstairs. Or play in the toy box for hours. I even got a toy rattle when I was young, went outside on their step & ended up tearing up the sidewalk with this little plastic rattle. And I didn't even get in trouble! We would play endless hours of cards or dice. We would have what Rhianna would call "a feast" on holidays with the entire family coming out & enjoying the company and the great home cooked food. We thought we were cool when we could drink a Brandy Alexander or a Grasshopper. We loved the donkey that would spit cigarettes out its butt if you lifted the tail. The upstairs scared the crap out of us & no one wanted to sleep up there alone. But I did on occasion & always thought I would turn around & see someone in the corner or standing over my bed. Most of my step uncles & step aunts wouldn't sleep up there EVER! We loved looking in closets & dressing up in some of the clothes we found. Darcy & I would always love to sleep in the "princess" room. For some reason it made us feel like royalty. I could always count on my grandpa to be laying on the floor watching TV. Or in the mornings when we slept downstairs waking up to the smell of coffee & hearing my mom's voice talking in the kitchen. We loved the huge yard they had to play in. And the field to fly kites or play with the neighbors kittens when they would run over to see us. We would climb on the gas tank & ride it like a horse. We planted a huge garden of flowers every year for Mothers Day. We would put pennies on the railroad track & run out to look for them after a train had gone by. In years to come when they tear up those railroad tracks, someone will make a fortune if you can cash in smashed coins. LOL. Or walking down to the old railroad bridge. We felt like the Stand By Me kids walking across that bridge. It wasn't as long, but it sure seemed like it when you were a kid & scared to death that a train was going to come around the bend.

It was such a small town, it doesn't even have a stop sign, you drive down a road for a couple of miles & you have passed through it. But it was the world to me growing up. I will forever have these memories & plenty more that I won't bore anyone with who is reading this. So, that is why it made me sad driving away on Sunday. Just knowing that chapter of my life is really closing is such a sad thought!

2010-10-12T21:59:00.008-04:00

Jillian & Carleigh in mommy & daddys bed.

Saturday, Chris, Jillian, Carleigh & I went to a pumpkin patch in Brownsburg. It was donations only, so we saved alot of money, which is always good.

Daddy & Jillian heading out to find the perfect pumpkins.

Jillian & daddy picking the perfect pumpkin

Carleigh in the pumpkin patch.

Then we went to Heritage Lake with Danielle & PJ. We had a good time.

Jillian & Brooklyn at Heritage Lake.

On Sunday, Dana, Jillian, Carleigh & I went to Appleworks in Trafalgar Indiana. We had a good time.

She fed goats:

Rode a pony:

Played in a sunflower garden:

And rode a train with Dana:
I had to take a picture of Carleigh to prove she was with us for when she grows up:

Jillian also ate some ice cream & was going to go down a pretty large slide, but she was too scared to do it. Which was fine with me because it scared me (and Dana for that matter) just thinking of her going down it. LOL. Dana & I had delicious apple slushies.

After Appleworks, we stopped by Brooke & Steves so they could see the girls. We stayed for an hour or so & had a good visit. Jillian didn't want to leave! Thankfully, we will be going to Dane's brithday party in a week.

2010-10-06T12:09:00.011-04:00

On September 25th Darcy, Dana & I went to our annual drag show. We had a great time. I got a little more, ok , a lot more intoxicated than I had planned, but Dana was driving home, so it was ok. I actually stayed the night at her house so I could sleep in on Sunday. It felt GREAT!!

Dana, Darcy & I at annual drag show.

I went back to work on September 30th. One day after Carleigh turned 8 weeks. We got Jillians haircut & met up with Ellen & her kids at McDonalds for lunch.

Carleigh at 8 weeks.

Jillian & Carleigh on my last day of maternity leave.

Then we came home & made cupcakes & a cake. As you can see, Jillian put the sprinkles on & I think she used every single sprinkle we had in the cupboard.

Jillian just loves Carleigh:

Jillian being a great big sister.

Carleigh sprawled out on our bed.

On Saturday October 2, Jillian, Carleigh & I went to the Plainfield Quaker parade. We met up with Shannon, Ray, Holly, Julia & Kayla.

Carleigh at the Quaker parade (before the rain)

Jillian & I at the Quaker parade.

it was a rainy nasty day, but shannon & I couldn't drag our kids out of the rain since candy was involved. Carleigh hung out in Hollys van where it was warm & dry (I kept checking on her to make sure she was safe). Jillian got alot of candy & really enjoyed the parade & hanging out with Shannon & Ray.

I have no idea why, but Jillian insisted on Chris taking this picture:

Chris took Carleigh to her 2 month check up on Wednesday while I took Jillian on a field trip to the zoo. Carleigh weighs 11 lb 6oz which is 65%; She is 22 1/2 inches long which is 56% & her head is 15 1/2 inches which is 67%. So she is pretty proportioned. She goes back when she is 4 months. Everything looks good. Jillian & I had a good time at the Zoo too.

2010-09-28T21:01:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, Dana, Darcy & I went to our annual drag show. It was so much fun. I got a little more intoxicated than I had planned, but felt fine the next day, thankfully. I planned on spending the night with Dana so I could sleep in a little. And I definitely slept in....I slept til noon. I am already looking forward to it again next year!
Tomorrow is my last day on maternity leave :(. I am sad. I have really enjoyed my maternity leave! And there is so much drama going on at work that it makes me not want to go back even more. After my Weight Watchers meeting tomorrow, I am going over to Dana's to have a drink because I am so depressed that I have to go back! It will be a low fat drink since both of us are on WW, but hopefully it will make me feel a little better. I didn't cry when I took Jillian to daycare for the first time, but I have a feeling I will with Carleigh. I think it may be because I don't want to go back to work; with Jillian I was sooo ready. And I know that Carleigh is my last baby & this time of my life is over! No more maternity leaves for me. 8 weeks just seems to have gone by too fast. Hopefully I will get back into the groove of things quickly & I won't feel so sad. I definitely can tell that I will appreciate the time I have with my girls more once I am back at work. Even with the little tyrant that Jillian has been lately, I will miss the Wednesdays that I got to spend with her. We were supposed to go to Chucky Cheese tomorrow for our last hurrah, but she didn't get all her stickers at daycare & that was a stipulation. They gets stickers throughout the day for their behavior. Today she didn't listen & was jumping on her nap cot. So, now we just may make cupcakes. Which is a bummer because I really wanted to go to Chucky Cheese! LOL

Essure procedure

2010-09-23T22:03:00.003-04:00

I had my Essure procedure done on Tuesday. I am now on the road to not being able to have anymore kids. I was sad for just a second or two. Chris didn't quite understand that because of how miserable I am when I am pregnant. But it really is a big decision to make. I'm only 34! Even though, holding Carleigh melts my heart & I know she will now be my last baby, I know I don't want anymore. The lack of sleep is taking its toll on me slowly. I can't imagine how it will be when I go back to work. Although, Chris will be getting up more then, right now he just gets up on the weekends. Work is going to be a little hellish when I go back. Dani quit unexpectedly, Alisa will be going on maternity leave anytime & Shannon is in Florida with her dying mother. I started Weight Watchers last night & most of my points may come from alcohol. LOL. Anyway, back onto my procedure.
Ellen took me to my procedure & took care of Carleigh while I slept afterwards. I had to start taking 800 mg of Ibuprofen twice a day two days prior to appointment. One day prior to the appointment I had to take two pills to dilate my cervix. The morning of my appointment, I had to take 1000mg of Vicoden an hour prior to procedure. They called me right back & said the first hour was to wait for my medicine to kick in before the procedure began. I just got to lay on a table with a heating pad on my back & relax. That was quite nice. I haven't had that relaxion in a while. After an hour or so, Dr. Gates came in to start the procedure. He said he was hoping he wouldn't have to inject my cervix. The nurse said they normally don't have to do that unless the woman hasn't ever had a dilated cervix or been in labor. Dr. Gates said "Jamie doesn't labor, she just delivers." LOL. I love him. Anyway...he started the procedure & I got to watch it on the screen. It was very cool to see. I wish they would have explained what they were doing, but I figured it out, for the most part. He just inserted coils into each of my fallopian tube. I cramped a little when he was actually inserting the coils, but other than that, it was pain free. I cramped a little that night too, but nothing a little Ibuprofen couldn't take care of. I don't feel like I had anything done at all. I think that may be one reason why I am not "mourning" the fact that I can't have any more kids. I almost forget I had anything done. I would definitely recommend this procedure to anyone (I guess that is as long as it works & I don't have any more kids. lol). I go back in 3 months to have a xray to make sure the scar tissue has wrapped around the coil. Hope it works!

2010-09-20T20:44:00.005-04:00

Where to start....Chic Fil A went well. She actually told me when she was ready to leave. A lady sitting next to me told me to run while I could. LOL. This past Wednesday we went to pick out a Halloween costume for her. She is going to be a pink cat:

Then we went to McDonalds. She told me it was the coolest McDonalds ever because of the slide. Leaving McDonalds wasn't as easy as it was leaving Chic Fil A. But it wasn't bad!

Friday was Grandparents Day. Jillian was so excited that Nana was going to eat lunch with her. She wore her new dress:

Nana met Jillian's partner in crime, Collin. His "grammy" knew about Jillian, so he must talk about her too. They are very cute when they see each other at school.

Here are a few pictures of Carleigh:

Carleigh at 5 weeks.

Carleigh looking in the mirror.

Last Sunday (I think) it rained a little here, finally. And as soon as Jillian found out it was raining, she wanted to get her umbrella out & go play. She wanted to get on rain boots & a rain coat too, but she doesn't have any of that yet. So, she had enough fun with just her umbrella.
On Saturday, Jillian & I went to Beef & Boards to see Little Mermaid. Beef & Boards is a local dinner theatre that puts on childrens plays periodically. Jillian seemed to like it for the most part. Half way through the play though, she said she wanted to leave & go see Nana & Carleigh. She sure does like those 2. LOL. When we got home, my grandma & Aunt Sally were here. We had a nice, but short visit. It was the first time they had seen Carleigh.
My Aunt Sally holding Carleigh.

Four Generations.

My mom said my grandma went on & on about what a good daddy Chris is. My mom said my grandma & Aunt Sally were also surprised that I was going out this Saturday & staying gone all night. They couldn't believe that Chris is going to stay home with a 3 year old & a 2 month old. He is a very good daddy. Jillian adores him & I am sure Carleigh will too.

Daddy & Carleigh sleeping on the couch.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T12:00:00.002-04:00

Jillian after applying "lipstick"

Carleighs first bath at home.

Just Carleigh

Carleigh at 4 weeks.

Papa & the grandkids at Labor Day cookout

Jillian at Uncle Rick & Aunt Shelleys at their Labor Day cookout.

Jillian wearing Sarahs softball gear.

Jillian & daddy checking out the baboons at the Zoo.

Jillian eating Dippin Dots at the Zoo.

Jillian sprinkling our sugar cookies.

2010-09-07T16:48:00.004-04:00

Well, I may have spoken too soon about Carleigh being a quiet baby. LOL. She has been fighting her sleep & cries if she is awake & not being held. She still seems to sleep well once she has fallen asleep. She wakes up at night every 3-5 hours to eat. I'm hoping once she starts going to daycare she will sleep better in her crib since she will be sleeping in one there. She went to the doctor today for her month check up. Dr. said we could try Similac Sensitive for her gas or mylecon, which we have done to no avail. She said some babies are just more gassy than others. It seems to bother her sometimes & sometimes she doesnt' seem to notice. She weighs 9lb 7.5 oz which is 54%; height is 21 inches which is 42% & her head is 15 inches which is 72%. She is bigger than Jillian at this age, not by much, but a little bigger. Doctor said everything looks good & to come back in a month. She will get shots then. Oh joy!
Jillian & I went to a bounce house last Wednesday. She had a blast going down the slides. At first she didn't want to go down by herself & then she told me she didn't need me to go down with her anymore. My independent girl. She asked me today what we are going to do tomorrow that is fun. lol. We decided to go to Chic fil a & play on their playground. Hopefully that goes well because I will also have Carleigh. Jillian has been getting up quite early this past week & not wanting to go back to bed. That is not fun! I'm trying a new tactic with bedtime by giving her 5 coins & every time she calls us into the room we take a coin away. After the 5th coin is taken then I don't go in there no matter how many times she calls. At first it worked great, but now, she doesn't really care if we take a coin. But I think it helped a little in the fact that she doesn't really call me in the room as much. Which was the point, so we will see what transpires.
We had a good Labor Day weekend. Saturday we went down to rick & Shelleys for a cookout. We had a good time. I love my in laws & love hanging out with them. Sunday we went to the Zoo. We had a nice time except for when it was time to leave. Jillian didn't want to leave when we had to leave, but eventually got over it & apologized. Then we made yummy sugar cookies! They are addictive! Monday we just hung out at home other than Chris & jillian going to Walmart. Jillian helped me make Manicotti (she called it hamicotti. lol). She stuffed the shells. She loves to help cook & bake, which I LOVE!

2010-08-27T11:02:00.003-04:00

Life so far with Carleigh has been pretty good. She is a pretty quiet baby most of the time unless she gets really hungry. She wakes up about every 3 hours to eat. She eats about 3-4 ounces each time. She gained 8 oz in a week. She won't sleep in her crib, but sleeps fairly well in her swing or glider thing we have. I'll take sleep anyway I can. She is a very sweet baby & looks just like jillian did at her age.
I think Jillian had a little trouble adjusting to Carleigh. She was pretty mean to me for a few days after we got home, but thankfully things have returned to normal. Jillian is constantly in Carleighs face kissing & hugging on her. If Carleigh cries Jillian is shusshing her & telling her everything will be ok. She has such good intentions, but I'm hoping the mother hen slows down a little because she stresses me out. I still take her to school everyday, but Wednesday to keep her on a schedule. Which she proved to me yesterday is a good thing. She stayed home with me on Tuesday & Wednesday because grandma Juju is in town. Yesterday morning was not a good morning for Jillian & leaving her at school was even worse! But she always enjoys herself there & gets worn out by playing with her friends. Things haven't really changed much for her since Carleigh has joined the family. I still give her most of her baths & play with her before she goes to bed. I don't know how single moms live because Chris is a life saver. I would be pulling my hair out if it weren't for him sometimes. He takes care of Carleigh while I take care of Jillian.
I'm sure things will get more complicated the more Carleigh is awake, but right now, things seem to be going pretty smoothly. Stay tuned.......

Birth of my darling Carleigh Part 2

2010-08-15T21:08:00.005-04:00

Shortly after the epidural, the resident (who had never delivered a baby as a resident) stopped in & checked me. I was dilated to 10 & I'm pretty sure he felt her head. Everyone kind of laughed at the look on his face. I was still in some pain, so I didn't really see his expression, but I think it was a look of shock. Well, then things got a little chaotic because Dr. Gates got stuck in surgery!! I was feeling pressure & was really wanting to push, but they had to get ahold of another doctor to be there for delivery, so I had to try real hard not to push. I'm not sure the epidural took too well because I felt my contractions & felt alot of pressure. I felt nothing after my epidural with Jillian. Finally, Dr. Stevens showed up. I was put into stirrups pretty quickly. Dr. Stevens checked me & said something about not wanting to make me laugh because I think she was afraid Carleigh would pop out. Well, I had 3 contractions & pushed for 4 minutes & out she came! She was born at 2:42 pm. Weighing 7lbs 4 oz. I didn't think she looked anything like Jillian at the time. She cried fairly quickly, but was kind of purple. You could tell she was having trouble breathing. Our nurse, Joyce, rubbed her quite vigorously, but it didn't seem to be helping much. So, they took her over to the little incubator thing to suck her out better. They even had a doctor come check her breathing out. They figured it was just because I only pushed for 4 mins & she would be fine. She just had some fluid that didn't get "pushed" out of her during birth. Chris, of course, was very stressed out because she wasn't breathing well. I was more calm thinking the same thing the doctors & nurses were, that she just didn't get all the fluid pushed out of her during delivery. They gave her the all clear & we finally got to hold her a little bit. Everyone in the room left except Chris & I so we could move to our room. Dr. Gates finally showed up & scooped Carleigh up to see her. We gave him a hard time for missing the delivery because I really wanted him to be there & I think he did too. He had Chris call Darcy because he missed her every time he came into my room for one reason or the other. We had a good laugh about it. And she gave him a hard time for missing the delivery too. I guess he got stuck in a surgery that became complicated.
My mom dropped Jillian off for a little "family" time. Jillian really liked Carleigh. She wanted to see her right away. Carleigh bought Jillian a Strawberry Shortcake car & Jillian ran over to her & thanked Carleigh without us even telling her she had to say thank you. Uncle Rick & his family showed up for a visit followed by Dana. After they left we started to get settled for the night. Carleigh still hadn't eaten since her birth so I was a little concerned, but none of the nurses didn't seemed too concerned. Finally about midnight I decided I should try to nurse her. She latched on for a little bit on each side, but that was it. I tried periodically through the night to nurse her, but she didn't latch on.
Around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday the nurses came in to check on me & to take Carleigh for a check of her vitals. I told them I was going to take a shower & then they could bring her back to the room (Chris had left to go into work for a little bit), unfortunately, that never happened:( The nurse came back & said Carleighs breathing was still labored & the pediatrician wanted one of the doctors on staff to look at her. A doctor came in & told me that they were going to move her to the continuing care nursery (CCN) to be monitored. And that Dr. Weaver would be coming to talk to me more. I called Chris telling him all of this information, we both were very concerned, him more than me because he is the one who worries more than me. Dr. Weaver came in & calmed my fears a little, she was very reassuring. She said Carleighs breathing was 80 bpm & they get concerned when it is over 60 bmp (I think those are the right numbers). She said she thought it may just be her having trouble transitioning into the world or it could be pneumonia. They would take an xray & put her on an antibiotic for at least 48 hrs in case it was pneumonia. I told Dr. Weaver that Carleigh was not eating & I was concerned with that. She said it was probably a self preservation act because since she wasn't breathing well, she could have aspirated, which would have been bad! They brought me a breast pump since I was wanting to breastfeed & told me we could visit Carleigh anytime at the CCN. They also said since she would be at the hospital until at least Saturday that after I got discharged I could move to another room closer to the nursery & be a "Parent Overnight". When they got the xray back it showed she had a pnuemothorax, which is an air bubble between the chest wall & lung. Dr. Weaver said it could get bigger & put more pressure on the lung which would in turn put pressure on the heart. They would monitor her to see if the bubble went away on its own. If it did not go away on its own they would either have to extract it with a needle & if that didn't work, they would have to put in a chest tube! I had to get all this information by myself because Chris was still at work since I told him he didn't need to come back right away. Thankfully, Dr. Weaver explained it all to him again when he got back. So, it was just a wait & see game. We went to the nursery at least every 2-3 hrs to drop off my colostrum that I had pumped & to see Carleigh. She looked so pitiful with an IV in her head & electrodes all over her small body. She was naked other than a diaper & you could just see her drawing in her little chest trying to breathe. She was also under an oxygen hood. It made me very sad. I left the nursery numerous times fighting back tears. The prognosis was good, but it was tough seeing her that way & barely being able to even touch her. They said touching her stimulated her & made her breathing worse. All the nurses & Dr. Weaver were wonderful & very informative.
I got discharged on Friday around 1:00 & got moved to another room down the hall from the CCN. They said I could be a "Parent Overnight" as long as they had a room available. The room & food were free of charge(Carleigh was racking up the hospital bill enough. LOL).Friday night Jillian & Chris came up to the hospital to stay the night. It was a little stressful because Jillian didn't want to go to sleep & cried loudly. I just wanted to sleep, but that didn't happen until after midnight. Chris & I kind of bickered because of it too. But, she finally fell asleep with me in my bed & we got a decent nights sleep. When we got up we were told that Carleigh wouldn't be going home that day, but she would be able to come to our room later in the afternoon for a little bit. Jillian, Chris & I went to Bob Evans for breakfast so I could just get out of the hospital for a little while. When we got back, we got to have Carleigh in our room for an hour. It was wonderful to be able to hold her & love on her. Chris eventually took Jillian down to Uncle Ricks house to swim for a bit so he could come home & clean the house a little. He & Jillian stayed at home that night, but came up to the hospital early on Sunday. Carleigh came to my room for an hour every 3 hours. I tried to nurse her, but she just wouldn't latch on, so I just fed her whatever I had pumped & supplemented with Similac. At some point on Sunday morning, they said I could just keep Carleigh in our room & that she would be going home. YIPPEE!!!! We finally got to leave around 4:30. We could have left a little earlier, but Aunt Brooke & family came up to see Carleigh. We got home around 5:30 & started life with 2 kids!! That was just over 3 weeks ago & things have been going pretty good.

Birth of my darling Carleigh Part 1

2010-08-15T20:38:00.003-04:00

I went to see Dr. Gates for my 37 week checkup on Tuesday August 3. Darcy decided to high tail it up to the appointment because she had dental appointments the next day. And when I had Jillian, the same thing happened. They had dental appointments on June 5 & she had gone to the doctors appointment with me when they had decided to induce me. She just thought there were too many coincidences not to come to the appointment in hopes Dr. Gates would induce me.Dr. Gates has been the doctor to deliver Rhianna, Oscar & Jillian, so we really wanted him to be the doctor with Carleigh too. We just love Dr. Gates! So, we figured if he induced me, he would be there. Well my blood pressure was 160/110, so he decided inducing me was probably a good idea. Darcy just loved the idea! I was a little in shock that I was going to be a mommy to two girls in less than 24 hrs. I was supposed to be at the hospital the next morning at 8:00 a.m. My group b strep came back positive, so I had to be on antibiotic for 4 hrs. We sat on the couch & told Jillian that we were having baby Carleigh the next day. I cried & cried! I know it is silly, but it just hit me that it wasn't just going to be jillian anymore. I just wanted a smooth transition for her. Well as it turns out, it was not a smooth transition, unfortunately. But more on that later. Jillian was excited, but other than that, I think the whole thing was lost on her.
So, the next morning we got up, took Jillian to daycare & headed off to the hospital. Dr. Gates stopped in the room & gave the orders to our nurse Joyce. He didn't check me, he said we could just go with the exam from the day before (I was 1-2 cm dialated). I got hooked up to the antibiotic & a low dose of pitocin about 9:00 a.m. Chris & I were the only ones there for awhile. Then Darcy & Rhianna showed up. Eventually, Lana, my mom & Ellen came also. Things were pretty boring for a few hours. A few contractions, but nothing too painful. Dr. Gates came back in around 12:30-1:00, checked me & I was a 3. He asked me if I wanted him to break my water. I said sure. He hadn't even stopped to get the nurse, so he had me open the instrument package. I tried to get a discount for doing that, but I doubt that will happen. lol. Shortly after that my contractions started to get worse. With Jillian, I had wanted to feel the contractions just to know how they felt. I decided I knew how they felt & that I didn't need to be in as much pain this time. So, they contacted an anesthesiologist for my epidural. Oh my gosh, my contractions were so bad! I think they were worse with Carleigh than they were with Jillian. The anesthesiologist showed up after what seemed like forever & attempted the epidural. It was painful! She numbed me up, but it didn't seem to work. The nurse & doctor kept telling me that I should just feel pressure, but I felt pain! So she numbed me more & went for a different area. That hurt just as bad not to mention my contractions were AWFUL by this time. They finally got it. The doctor said I had narrow spaces, but the doctor with Jillian didn't seem to have a problem. With Jillian, the IV at the beginning hurt worse than the epidural. Not so with Carleigh.
Well, that is enough for now, I have to go to bed. I am exhausted!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-07T19:38:00.010-04:00

I will try to write soon & write about my labor & life after. But it definitely won't be Wednesday because I am still awake at midnight & Jillian is staying home with us. So, who knows how that will go! More to come soon!

Carleigh Viann Holland. 7lbs 4oz 20 inches long

Carleigh Viann Holland.

Chris & Carleigh

I get to hold her again finally!!!!

Mommy & her girls.

Carleigh's first visit to our room while in the hospital.

They both conked out after we got home from hospital.

Our first outing after getting home from hospital.

Daddy & his little girls!

They sleep the same way!!

Jillian "swimming" in her bathtub.

Jillian playing in her clubhouse.

OB appt 36 weeks

2010-07-27T10:26:00.002-04:00

I saw a different doctor today than my normal doctor since he isn't there on Tuesdays. My blood pressure was fine (135/80). He said they probably wouldn't induce til a week before my due date! I do not like that thought. I don't think I can be on bed rest for another 3 weeks, mentally, physically or financially. I am so tired, get worn out easily & am getting nauseated again. I go see my regular doctor on Friday, so hopefully he will have different news, like inducing next week. I'll have to figure out how to get my bp higher for Friday. LOL. When the doctor was listening to Carleighs heart rate he asked me how big Jillian was at birth. I told him 6lb 15 oz. He said this baby will be bigger, not enormously, but bigger. I liked this doctor, but he didn't seem to know what was going on with me because he said something near the end of the appointment that made me think he didn't even know who my regular doctor was at the office. I am kind of depressed about this appointment, but Chris says I should wait til Friday when I see Dr. Gates. Which is true, but I am so done being pregnant!

Bed rest

2010-07-25T21:30:00.002-04:00

Well, I am on bed rest. My BP was high again on Thursday. Dr. Gates asked what I thought about being on bed rest. I told him he is the doctor he needs to tell me. I did tell him I am exhausted & feel like crap most of the time. He said if I told him I couldn't take the time off then we would discuss it, but he thinks for safety purposes he would recommend bed rest. Part of me is ok with it because I really am exhausted, but it has only been since Thursday afternoon & I am already done! He said he wants to at least get me to 37 weeks, so hopefully it will only be for another week or so. Dr. Gates said he would like to see me more often than once a week, so I go back & see Dr. Wright on Tuesday. I figure he will have me come back on Friday with Dr. Gates. Hopefully at that appointment we will discuss induction because I will be 37 weeks the next week.
Jillian has been a good girl all weekend. She went & hung out with Aunt Darcy yesterday. They went to Kenny's parents & went swimming. She had a great time. I broke the bed rest rule & went & picked Jillian up at Culvers. We ended up going in & eating at Culvers. I really didn't do anything & it wore me out! Today we just hung out at home other than Chris & Jillians weekly trip to Walmart.
I will update about pregnancy sometime after my OB appointment.

2010-07-19T20:34:00.002-04:00

As told by Dr. Gates last week, I didn't do much this weekend. Chris finally got home about 8:30 Saturday night, so resting didn't go too well Saturday. Sunday was much better. I really didn't do much of anything. I fixed lunch & dinner & that was about it. So at todays appointment, I saw a Dr. Garrett. First time seeing her, she was very nice. My blood pressure was 130/73 & my labs came back good. My ankles looked good too. She said Dr. Gates had them at a +2 on Friday. I figure that must have been somewhat bad. I told her they weren't even that awful on Friday. She said she thinks I should be able to stay at work at least this week & they would like to try to get me to 37 weeks. She said if I just don't feel well or I get a headache that won't go away with Tylenol to either have someone at work check my BP or call them. I have to go back on Thursday to follow up with Dr. Gates. They will do my Group B Strep test that day & will check to see if I am dialated at all. I don't really want to be on bed rest, but work wears me out! I am so exhausted by the time I leave there. Chris had dinner ready for me tonight again when I got home, which makes life so much easier! He is a great guy, he really knows how to step it up when he is really needed!
Jillian was sick last week. When I picked her up on Wednesday, she felt like she was on fire, so I took her temp when we got home & it was 102.2. It got up to 104.9 that night, so Chris talked to the on call pediatrician. She said Roseola has been going around & since Jillian really had no other symptoms than a fever figured that is what it would turn into. She didn't have much if any of a fever on Thursday, my mom & grandma watched her. Friday, I don't think she ever had one while Lana was watching her, but she did give her Motrin at one point because she felt warm. That night she had a temp just over 100, but has been fine ever since. No roseola yet, so I'm not sure what her problem was! She sure cracks us up though! She definitely has a good sense of humor & loves to make mommy & daddy laugh. We sometimes forget she is only 3!!
I'll post more about my appointment on Thursday. I'll try to get some pics posted too (if I take any. LOL)

34 OB appointment

2010-07-17T17:49:00.003-04:00

Well, my appointment didn't go too well. The nurse asked how things were going. I told her I had been getting headaches & my feet/ankles were starting to swell. She took my blood pressure & said it was elevated, when I asked what it was she said 140/94. She said that is probably why I was having headaches! When Dr. Gates came in, he asked if he was looking at the right chart because my blood pressure has been so low & now today it is quite high. I told him my ankles & feet were getting really bad & painful. When he looked at them he looked very sympathetic. I told him I wasn't exaggerating. He said he was hoping I had been, which I wasn't! He said he would take my blood pressure again just to make sure. He said maybe with me sitting there for awhile it would have gone down. I didn't tell him that I had been waiting for half hour. He measured me & said I was measuring right on target. He also listened to Carleighs heartbeat & that sounded good & strong! He said she is head down now. After that, he checked my blood pressure & it wasn't much better, it was 130/92. So, it had gone down a little, but not much. He seemed quite concerned. He told me I had to take it easy this weekend & come back on Monday. I also had to give blood to make sure nothing was going on there, I guess. He said I am close to 35 weeks & they obviously like to try to get me to 40 weeks, but we may not be able to make it. So, Carleigh my be arriving sooner than expected! Yikes. I'm trying to take it easy this weekend, but Chris had to golf today (father/son tourney) and when taking care of a 3 year old, it is kind of hard. We are watching a fascinating Barbie Mermaid movie (LOL) that I bought at Target today to try to keep her pre occupied. So far so good. Tomorrow Chris will be home, so it will be easier. I'll post about Mondays appointment shortly after!

2010-07-14T21:37:00.006-04:00

Ellen & Dana threw me a baby sprinkle brunch on Saturday the 10th. Here are some pics:

Brunch Baby Sprinkle

Jillian checking out Lia, who is 3 weeks old.

We had a nice time. Jillian did well for it being a "party" for her baby sister & not for her. She helped me open some presents & seemed to enjoy it! As you can see from the picture above, she seems to really like babies. She helps feed them at school & always seems so gentle with them when she is around them. Hopefully, that won't change when it comes to Carleigh. She seems genuinely excited to have a baby ( she calls it "her" baby or "our" baby most of the time LOL). I'm sure jealousy will kick in eventually, I just hope Chris & I handle it well & don't make it worse!

I am 34 weeks & 2 days pregnant today. I am getting more & more uncomfortable. My Braxton Hicks are getting worse & my feet are getting HUGE! My blood pressure seems to be ok most of the time, so I am not sure why they are swelling so bad. They actually hurt by the end of the day. They almost feel like they are going to explode! The swelling doesn't even go down at night. I go to the doctor tomorrow & we will see what he says. I can't image being put on bed rest with Jillian. Carleigh isn't as active as she was (I assume she is getting cramped), but likes to stick her knee out in my side a lot! LOL. I will post soon about the outcome of the doctor appointment.

2010-07-06T20:59:00.006-04:00

We had a very busy weekend. Friday night, we went to a hotel that my mom & grandma were staying at to go swimming. Jillian had so much fun jumping in over & over again. She kept telling me to let go of her, so I eventually did & she realized what would happen if I did let go (she didn't have floaties or anything on) & didn't ask again. LOL. We didn't get home until 10:00 & then she "had" to eat a bowl of cereal, so I don't think she went to bed til 10:30.
Saturday, we went to Darcy's wedding reception. We had a nice time. Unfortunately, Jillian saw a playground when we pulled up & wouldn't let go of the fact that she wanted to go play on it. She pitched a fit, so we left around 8:30. Then, Dana & Danny came over to watch a pay per view UFC fight. Jillian had a hard time going to bed since she knew we were out in the living room watching TV. Especially because she really likes Danny. She eventually fell asleep around 11:00. I enjoyed watching the fight.
Sunday, we went down to Rick & Shelley's for their annual 4Th of July gathering. It was so freaking hot, but thankfully there was a slight breeze. Jillian & the kids had fun in the sprinkler. We didn't know there would be a sprinkler, so Jillian just ran through it in her panties.
.

Chris & Jillian playing with the sprinkler.

Jillian & Sarah playing in sprinkler

Jillian after playing in sprinkler.

Jillian did not like the fireworks though. I wanted to sit & watch them at first, but then the mosquitos were out so badly, that I was fine going into the house. I think we were just too close to where they were lighting them off. There were some off in the distance & she liked looking at those. So, her & I went into the house & I gave her a bath. She cracked me up at one point in time (it may have been one of those "you had to be there" moments, but it cracked me up). She decided she had to potty shortly after getting in the tub, I was just letting the water run, so I told her to go in the bathtub, but she couldn't quite "figure" that out. So I got her out, she went & she started to walk back to the tub. She fell on all fours because the floor was slip. Instead of crying or anyting she just kept saying "oh gosh, oh gosh." Then she said "put me back in there." talking about the bathtub. I laughed so hard I almost peed. Like I said, maybe it was one of "those" moments. We didn't leave until 11:30 or so. Jillian fell asleep on the way home.
Monday, we didn't do anything, but go to Target. While I was getting ready to go to Target she came into the bathroom in the get up below & said "I'm going to work in the garden"

Jillian in her "garden" outfit.

The "skirt" she has on is actually a knitted shaw that I had when I was a child. I'm not sure how old it is, but it was quite funny that she is using it as a skirt.
If it wasn't so hot outside, I would have let her wear it, but it was too HOT. She is so funny. I told her I can only hope Carleigh makes me laugh as much as what she does because the child definitely knows how to make me laugh!

32 week OB check up

2010-07-01T15:06:00.002-04:00

Today was my 32 week OB appointment. Everything looks good. I was a little concerned about my blood pressure, swelling of feet & I think I lost my mucous plug this week. But he said everything looked good. My blood pressure was only 110/73, which is a little lower than it has been recently when I have checked it at Walmart, but not too much lower. I gained 3 pounds, which I'm a little shocked about, but I have kind of lost my appetite recently, so it isn't too big of a surprise. He checked me to make sure I wasn't dialated since I'm pretty sure I lost my plug. He said I wasn't dialated so everything was good. Carleigh's heart beat was 153, which is pretty consistant with what it has been. So, all in all, everything looks good & I go back in 2 weeks.I told Ellen that if I had Carleigh the same amount of weeks I had Jillian I only have 5 weeks left this Saturday. But, I dont' think that is going to happen. I have a feeling I am going to have Carleigh closer to my due date than what I am really wanting. I don't want her to come now by any means, but I will be happy when the pregnancy is over. Although last night, I thought, "my life has gotten so easy with jillian growing up, why am I starting all over????" But I know Carleigh will bring as much joy to us as Jillian has brought. And I will just have to remember my life will get easy again in 3 years. LOL.
Tomorrow night, my family from Illinois is coming for Darcy's reception, so Jillian & I are going to go hang out at the hotel & go swimming. Saturday evening is Darcys reception. And Rick & Shelley are having a 4th of July party on Sunday, so we will be hanging out down there all afternoon. I'm not sure what we are doing on the 5th, maybe just relaxing. It is supposed to be HOT again this weekend. UGH! Not good weather for a hefty pregnant woman. LOL

2010-06-26T20:31:00.010-04:00

Jillian loves dressing up as the "tooth fairy." She got the outfit from Shelley & Rick.

Jillian as the Tooth Fairy.

Jillian in our "double" stroller. LOL

Chris made it home safely from Las Vegas. We really missed him! He was nice enough to arrange for Rick & Shelley to have Jillian stay the night with them on Saturday night since he wouldn't be home. And she is a lot to handle right now with me being pregnant. It was nice to just lay on the couch & relax.
This Saturday we went to Castleton 3D ultrasound to see Carleigh. here are a few pics:

Carleigh Viann

Carleigh Viann
Carleigh Viann

Carleigh Viann

We think she looks a lot like what Jillian did when we did her ultrasound there. I am so ready for these next 8 weeks to be over!! My pregnancy seems to have flown by, so I hope that continues. My ankles are starting to swell pretty badly. My blood pressure has been higher for the top number than it has been, but nothing too bad yet. Yesterday at Walmart it was 133/71. I have my next OB appointment on Thursday. Thankfully we don't see patients this week so I can just wear flip flops to work!

Jillian & I went to see Toy Story 3 yesterday after the ultrasound. She did such a good job. I had to check a couple of times to make sure she was still awake. LOL.

Today we went to a graduation party. On the way home Jillian puked all over herself. We think she Just got too hot. We got her some ice chips & gave her a bath when we got home. She started to act much better. I thought something may be wrong before she puked because she was so quiet in the car & that is abnormal unless she is sleeping. She is now in bed & fell asleep fairly easily, heat & puking must have worn her out!

2010-06-16T09:46:00.002-04:00

I have tried to upload some pictures of Jillians birthday, but for some reason it just gets stuck. I will have to try to post them later.
She had a good birthday. The morning of her birthday we went to a sibling class. I don't think Jillian really paid much attention of what the teacher was saying, but I'm glad we went. We went & saw the babies in the nursery. She was on Chris's shoulders so she could see better & he said she said "I want one." Which is good because she is gonna get one soon. LOL. Then we had her birthday party. We just had family over, but it seemed crazy! She got lots of clothes, Barbies, a clubhouse from Nana (Chris isn't very happy about it I must say, but Jillian LOVES it!) & some other things. She had a good birthday, I think. Then we went to BW3's afterwards with the Hollands because June 5th is also Tara's birthday & that is what she wanted to eat. We had Brooklyn with us because she was at Jillian's birthday party. It was a test to see how well we would do with 2 kids & I think we did a pretty good job. Sarah was a big help when both Jillian & Brooklyn wanted to go to the bathroom numerous times. Then we came home & both Chris & Jillian were asleep in our bed by 8:30.
Sunday, Chris was golfing, so Jillian & I did a little swimming in her pool & went to Target. Grandma Juju gave Jillian some money for her birthday & she wanted to spend it. She bought a baby doll & a Toy Story Woody doll (she got Jessie for her birthday).
This past Sunday while Chris was golfing, Jillian & I went to the zoo. She was such a good girl. All through the zoo, she kept saying she loved me. Aww, isn't that sweet. We had a good time & I am so glad I have a membership because we will definitely be going back!
Baby update: I passed my 3 hr glucose test. I'm not sure how it all works, but I'm so glad I passed. I sure didn't think that was going to happen. She is still moving like crazy & now has the hiccups alot. Dana & Ellen got to feel them yesterday. I think we have decided on the name Carleigh Viann. Not sure of the spelling just yet though. My 30 week OB appointment went well. Quick & easy. Hopefully my BP stays low as it has been. I go back again in 2 weeks. I have the last week of June off, so I hope to get some things organized for when she comes (which seems to be approaching WAY too quickly).

Busy, busy

2010-05-31T19:12:00.002-04:00

This has been such a busy weekend. Friday was Jillians end of school year program at school. They were supposed to sing 3 songs, but I don't think she sang any. She just kept waving to us. We went to DQ afterwards for some yummy blizzards.
Saturday we got up & took Jillian to get her haircut. She did AMAZING!! She sat on the Garfield seat & did so well. Then we went to Target & bought a new pool because the one she got last year for her birthday got a hole in it. Jillian & I came home & swam (and froze!!!!). Chris went golfed. Playing in the pool & sun must have wore Jillian out because she took a 2.5 hr nap & that is unheard of especially because she slept til 8:30 that morning (which is also unheard of). Then she got up & went swimming again. I just put my feet in the water, but it was much warmer from sitting in the sun. Then Jillian & I went back to Target to get a bucket for the next day & we went to Taco Bell for dinner.
Sunday, we got up & went out to Heritage Lake to meet up with our friends, the Clements for some swimming. We had a good time. Jillian even went out on the speedboat with daddy for a little ride. I wasn't sure how well she would like it, but she must have enjoyed it for the most part. Chris said Brooklyn jumped off the back of the boat into the water so Jillian wanted to do the same thing. She didn't hesitate doing it, but Chris said she sunk & then freaked out once coming to the surface. It took her quite a while to figure out how to use the life vest thingy she was using. She didn't quite figure it out until we were back at the beach & she was swimming back & forth to Chris & I.
After we left the lake we headed down to Rick & Shelleys for a weenie roast & some yummy smores. It was a nice time. Jillian was so good the whole day. We were very happy. She even told me when she had to go poopy at the lake, so we had no accidents. YIPPEE.
Today, we are recovering from yesterday. I am so wiped out! We went to Walmart, but were walking around like zombies so that is pretty much all we did today!
Baby update: I failed my glucose test, so I have to go back tomorrow for the 3 hr test. DARN IT!!! I failed it with Jillian too & know what to expect, that is why I am not happy. This time I think it worse. With Jillian I missed the cutt off by 5 "points", this time, I missed the cut off by 32 "points". The nurse said it was pretty extreme number. UH-OH!!!

2010-05-23T20:56:00.003-04:00

I got the flu on Wednesday. It was awful. I just wanted to curl up in the fetal position & disappear. Unfortunately, that couldn't happen. Chris left to go out of town that same day.I thought I might be somewhat ok to go get Jillian until I actually got sick around 4:00. I called Ellen crying asking if she could pick Jillian up. I felt so bad about burdening her with my child, but I had no one else who I thought could pick her up. Jillian got home around 6:30 & wasn't great, but I didn't feel well enough to discipline her, so she went with it. LOL. She ended up sleeping with me, which made for a bad night for me. Not only did I have stomach cramps & got up to throw up once, she moved all over the bed! Thursday morning was pretty rough. I didn't feel great, but was gonna go to work. The doctor had a family emergency & had to cancel the day, so that kind of worked in my favor. My mom picked Jillian up on Thursday. She stayed the night with me to try to help out with Jillian. She did help especially by taking her out to dinner. But Jillian was a little turd at bedtime & got 2 time outs!!!! Friday a.m. was a dream, she woke up in a great mood & didn't argue with me about going to school. Friday, we went & picked out a Dora movie to watch & ate homemade tacos (her favorite!!). When I picked her up on Friday, her teacher told me they had to tell Jillian to stop kissing the boys because there is so much illness going around. LOL
Saturday, we just hung out at home, played outside & waited for daddy to get home. She didn't take a nap, but I was going out for dinner, so I didn't care. LOL.
Today was nice, pretty hot, but no rain!!!

Jillian playing in the pool with Dora.

Jillian playing in her shark pool.

I hadn't planned on getting in the pool with Jillian, but she soaked me with the hose, so I ended up in it with her. HOLY COW, the water was freezing!! Jillian loved the fact that I was in there with her, so that made it all worth it. It made me realize why I want her to have a sibling. LOL.
Then she planted some flowers with daddy.

Jillian hammering something into the ground. Daddy was scared he was gonna lose a finger!

Jillian helping daddy plant flowers.

She wanted to go for a walk, but we talked her into riding her Dora 3 wheeler up & down the sidewalk for a little while. It was time to come in when she took her dress off in the driveway. She likes to be naked!
Pregnancy wise, no news. I go for my glucose test on Tuesday. I sure hope I pass it! I have been getting dizzy off & on, but nothing major. I love watching my belly move when she moves. No name yet, but we are really leaning towards Carleigh. I will be 27 weeks on Tuesday. AHHH! Time is going by so fast. That is only 13 weeks til I am full term!!!

2010-05-12T10:14:00.003-04:00

Last week was a very sad week for me. My best friend, Ellen, husband died unexpectedly last Tuesday. It was very hard to see her & her kids in so much pain. The same night he passed away, my grandma went into the hospital with congestive heart failure. They got that cleared up, but then said she was in kidney failure. Chris, Darcy, the kids & I went over there on Sunday for Mothers Day. It was very sad. She was quite out of it & very hard to understand. They didn't think she was going to make it through the night. Then yesterday, she started to come out of it. They were going to keep her in the hospital for some time, but were going to move her room because she had so many visitors. :). So, hopefully she is going to make a full recovery from all of this.
Last Thursday was picture day at school. Jillian wore a dress & then on Friday wanted to wear another dress. She looked cute, so I took a picture of her, which is what is below:

Jillian wearing a dress.

I got a new spiffy camera for Mother's Day & the couple of pics below are from that camera on Mother's Day at grannys. I don't think Chris will ever take a car trip with Darcy & I again. We tortured him with old school rap, R&B & country music on the way home. I think he was ready to get the heck out of her car. We stopped at Arni's in Crawfordsville for dinner. It was very tasty at the time, but I don't think the salad agreed with my stomach. I felt awful that evening. UGH!

Jillian at Grannys on Mothers Day.

Jillian & Rhianna at Grannys on Mothers Day.

On Sunday night, after we put Jillian to bed, she got quiet all of a sudden. She normally plays in her bed for quite awhile & isn't quiet about it. Chris went in & found her like this:

Jillian changing her baby sisters diaper & applying Vaseline to her bottom.

He said he almost got mad, but then she looked up at him & said "I'm just changing my baby sisters diaper." How can you get mad at that? LOL. She was so sincere in it all. I'm not quite sure where she got the Vaseline, but she must have gotten out of bed & found it somewhere in her disaster of a room. I hope she really is as good of a big sister as she seems to gonna be. We were laying on the couch on Sunday & she kissed my belly telling me she loved my baby. AWWWW!

2010-05-02T10:07:00.003-04:00

Jillian has said some funny/cute things this week. She had show & tell for the first time on Friday & when I asked her what she wanted to take, her face lit up & she said "my baby sister." She has said a couple of times that my friend Dani is going to buy her a Dora pool, just out of the blue she says this & not only to me, but to my mom too. Then on Friday night, Chris was telling her good night & she said "You killed my father." She has been watching Toy Story 2 quite a bit these last few days & Buzz says that to a character in the movie. She just cracks us up. I'm not quite sure where she gets these things. She has also, recently been looking in the mirror & asking herself what kind of faces she is making ie. happy, sad, mad. Maybe they are talking about feelings at school, it is hard telling.
Bob came over on Tuesday to help Chris get the baby stuff down from the attic. Jillian kept saying how all the stuff is her stuff. I have hopefully gotten through to her that it is her baby sisters & she can help show her baby sister how to use it all. I'm starting to get a little nervous about having another baby. I just don't know how I am going to handle taking care of 2 kids. Chris is a great daddy & helps out, but it will be so different with 2 kids! I only have 16 weeks left. AHHHH!! I can't wait to feel normal again. I know I will be sleep deprived forever, but I just want to feel normal again!
Jillian stayed the night at Uncle Rick & Aunt Shelleys last night. Chris & I went to dinner & duckpin bowling with Danny/Dana & PJ/Dana. We even ended up going to see Peacetrain for a little bit. It was nice seeing them again. I don't know when the last time was that we saw them play. I am paying for it today though because Chris & I didn't get home until a little after midnight. I woke up around 8:30 & laid in bed til 10:30. I am definitely paying for it today. I am exhausted!
We have a busy weekend coming up this weekend. Saturday I am going to get a 3D ultrasound in the a.m. I'm going to dinner with work at 5:30 that night & then on Sunday, we have a graduation open house to go to for my brother in law Steve. I'm sure I will be exhausted then too!

OB appointment

2010-04-22T18:25:00.004-04:00

Tonight is Chris's first golf league game, so Nana picked Jillian up from daycare & they went to Steak N Shake. So, I have the house to myself for a few minutes & thought I would just write how my doctor appointment went today.
I gained 6 lbs, which he said not to worry about & he would tell me when & if I gain too much to & should start worrying. My BP was 117/78. I will have to see if I made any note on when my BP started to get high with Jillian. I was on bedrest with her for 2 weeks or so because my BP was high. And in the end, my doctor induced me a little early because of it. He said her heartrate was 160, which he said sounded like a girl. I told him she is a very active little booger. I have indegestion something awful & he said Pepcid AC is the best for it as long as it works. They don't like pregnant women using Pepto, but he said occasional use would be ok (not sure why no Pepto). Pepcid AC seems to work most of the time, so we will just stick with it for now. We did talk about birth control after the baby & he said we could discuss it more at my 6 week follow up appointment after the baby. Of course, I am the one that is going to have to do something to prevent future pregnancies because Chris is a wimp (LOL). My doctor said a vasectomy is 1/3 the cost of most forms of permanent or long term birth control, but I don't think that will change Chris's mind. Which is fine, I guess, as long as my insurance hopefully pays for most of whatever I have done. I would be fine with tubal ligation, but don't think I will be having a c-section, so I would prefer something a little easier. I need to do some research on something he told me about called Essure, which is permanent & done in the office. Anyway. I go back in 5 weeks (should be 4, but doctor is out of office) and will have glucose test done. I'm going to stay away from sugar & carbs the night before & the day of, so hopefully I will pass it. I don't want to have to do the 3 hour test again!!

2010-04-18T21:09:00.002-04:00

The Easter pictures are a little delayed, but so is most of my life, LOL. Coloring the eggs actually held her attention alot more than what I had thought. Just this week, my mom bought some coloring for next year & Jillian wanted to color more eggs!

Jillian coloring her eggs the night before Easter with Nana & Granny.

Nana helping color eggs the night before Easter.

Jillian Easter morning.

Jillian rocking out with Daddy's guitar.

Jillian & her new friend.

Jillian "found" this puppy out by the garage by our bushes. It has been there for years, but for some reason, she just decided she wanted to befriend it. She has carried around everywhere. We even had to take it into Dunkin Donuts last week. Her & Daddy have discussed getting a puppy, but I want no part of it especially with me having to take care of a 3 year old, a newborn & a 41 year old. So, for right now, this is the closest she is going to be getting to a puppy. Although, she told Grandma Lana this weekend that Daddy was buying her a puppy.

Jillian woke up on Thursday stating her ear hurt. She complained about it 3-4 times, crying out most of those times. So, my mom took her to the dr. and she has an ear infection. When I told jillian she was going to the dr. she told me "no, mommy. My ear is fixed." LOL. She doesn't like going to the dr. From what I heard, she was a little hesitant, but did good in the end.

She has been a pretty good girl recently. She got her crayons taken away tonight though because she colored on our in table right in front of me! On Wednesday, she colored on her wall & daddy told her if she colored on anything other than paper again, the crayons were gone. While looking in her room for crayons tonight, we found she colored on her white Easter purse, her Kai Lan doll & her weeble wobble castle. So, she has been a busy little girl with coloring!

No baby news. We still don't have a name & it drives me nuts!! I have an OB appointment this Thursday. I don't think any news will necessarily come out of it. I have been getting a little dizzy & have been having headaches, but my home BP wrist machine still shows my BP is low. After this OB appointment, I have to schedule for my glucose test. UGH! I sure hope I don't fail it. I do not want to have to go through the 3 hour test again!

I will try to update again next week.

2010-04-06T20:56:00.003-04:00

I am 20 weeks today!!! I'm halfway through my pregnancy. I am so excited since most of you know, I never feel 100% when I am pregnant. Baby Holland moves alot when I am on the computer in the evening. I don't know if it is because I have a lap desk & it sits partially on my belly. Chris got to feel her move on Friday (4-2-10). Feeling the baby move is the best part of being pregnant. Except periodically she kicks me in my bladder & that is not a good thing. LOL. I feel her more strongly than I did Jillian, but my placenta this time is posterior so I'm sure that is why I'm feeling her move more strongly. I would like for Jillian to feel her move, but baby Holland is still sporadic, so I will need to wait a little longer. Jillian loves looking at the ultrasound pictures. She says they are her baby. She probably won't like her too much when she is here & is crying.
Jillian is becoming a handful. She did well at my last OB appointment. We had to wait for quite a while before we went back, so she was a little restless. Needless to say, it wasn't the picture perfect scenario I had playing in my head. But I think she thought it was pretty cool. We went to the museum on Wednesday (3-30-10). She was pretty good all day until it was time to leave. Then all hell broke loose. She just doesn't like to do anything she doesn't want to do! The scene she caused was just that...quite a scene.I just don't know how to handle her when she starts to flip out. I am going to have to figure it out though before I go insane!
We had a nice relaxing Easter. I put some candy filled eggs in the backyard outside our bedroom window. When she came in on Sunday I asked her if it was raining, so she would look out the window. She looked out the window & said something of the sort that there were eggs out there & that it was sooo cool (everything is "cool" these days). She just couldn't wait to get outside & get those eggs. Then everytime she opened the eggs, she would exclaim "CANDY!!" I loved seeing the innocence of it all. I told Chris I thought the excitment & innocence was the one of the best parts of being a parent. So cute.
So, I think that is a pretty good catch up.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-27T20:22:00.005-04:00

I have stuff to say, but I'm tired & it is "wordless Wednesday" so I will jsut wait to write anything else!

Jillian riding a horse at the Indianapolis Childrens Museum

Jillian doing Barbies hair at the Indianapolis Childrens Museum.

Jillian & Kayla playing with water at the museum.

Jillian & her "girlfriends" enjoying a "snack" at the museum.

Jillian in her pretty dress & hat before Nana took her to get her pictures with a real bunny & duck!

Jillian eating her finished product from her Disney oven.

Brooklyn, Julia & Jillian at todays Easter Egg Hunt.

Jillian being silly & wearing her Easter hat that Nana bought her.

Jillian in a bubble bath!
Jillian in bubble bath!

2010-03-21T20:16:00.003-04:00

Here are the pics I said I needed to post and then some of the Easter Egg Hunt yesterday:

Loving her boots.

Looking cute in her tutu outfit.

Done helping mommy cook.

Getting anxious to "hunt" Easter Eggs.

She figured out real quick what she was supposed to be doing.

Look at all those eggs!!

Jillian & Daddy eating popcorn & resting after the Easter Egg Hunt.

She had a great time at the Easter egg Hunt. We are going to another one on the 3rd of April at a park in Mooresville. She is really starting to wear me out. I'm not even that big & still have 22+ weeks to go, I'm not sure how I am going to do it! My OB appointment went well 2 weeks ago. I only gained 3 lbs, which surpises the crap out of me! We go back this Thursday, the 25th, for ultrasound to make sure everything is progressing correctly & to find out the gender. Hopefully I will be writing shortly after the appointment to blog the results. We are taking Jillian with us so she can see the baby on the TV screen. Not much else has really been going on, so I don't have much to blog about.

2010-03-07T17:10:00.004-05:00

I have a couple of pictures to post, but don't have them downloaded to the computer yet, so they will have to wait. They are just of Jillian prancing around the house.
This week went by fairly normal pregnancy wise. Just about every other day, I have a good day & then a bad one. I hadn't gotten sick for almost 2 weeks, until last night! It hit me very quickly & it was pretty violent, so I was afraid I was getting the flu. But it must just be the pregnancy because I didn't & still don't have a fever. My throat still hurts like there is something stuck in it, but I just think it is sore from the violent way it came out. Don't I paint a beautiful picture?? Lol. It was time for Jillian to go to bed & we tried to go let daddy get her dressed, but she wouldn't leave my side. She was rubbing my arm & telling me it was going to be ok (how sweet!). She obviously doesn't have a weak stomach! I hadn't taken any anti nausea meds for almost a week either until today. Jillian & I were going to the Outlet Malls down south & I didn't want to feel awful, so I took them as a preventative measure. Last night took alot out of me for some reason. I think I am feeling the baby move, kind of like little flutters. Can't wait til I feel it more often, just to reassure me. Normal OB appointment this week & then 2 weeks will be the ultrasound! So we will find out if it is a Yancy (boy) or a girl (no names yet).
On Friday night, Jillian, Chris & I went to Outback for dinner. When we left, Jillian told me she wanted to go back to the "snakehouse". lol. Saturday was pretty nice outside, so Jillian & I went for a walk before her nap. She wasn't too happy that we had to come home. Saturday evening we went down to Bob & Lana's (my in-laws) just to visit & hang out. We had a nice time. On the way home, Jillian was trying to talk to us into letting her stay up. When we said no, she said "gotta try". LOL. I just don't know where she comes up with these things. She talked & sang the whole way down to Franklin & on the way home. She loves to sing. One song she sang was something about God being mighty & strong & the stars being his handy work too. That one she must have gotten at school because it didn't come from us.
Today Jillian, Dana, Ellen & I went down to Edinburgh outlet mall. I mainly went to get outside & walk around. We had a nice time. When we got home my dad stopped by & brought us a nice 32 inch flat screen TV.
That sums up our week/weekend. I will try to update on Wednesday about my OB appointment.

2010-02-28T15:39:00.002-05:00

These pictures are from Superbowl Sunday when we had quite a bit of snow. I didn't feel too hot, but love her too much to tell her we couldn't go play in the snow.

So happy to be playing in the snow.

Picking the ice off the tree.

Daddy & Jillian playing in the snow.

Putting snow on mommy's coat.

Not happy that it is time to go inside.

Things here are moving along. Sometimes I think it is going by fast, other times I think it is dragging. My friend at work was 4 weeks behind me in pregnancy, but she lost her baby last week. So, I am trying to be positive about being pregnant. I still don't like it, but it is getting a little better. I have a good day & then a bad day. I'm trying to figure out why that is at this point. I still haven't definitely felt the baby move. I think I kind of have, but am not positive that is what I am feeling. Last night I either dreamt I felt it tapping me like Jillian did or I did actually feel it. I'm not sure. It was very early in the morning & I was asleep. I am almost 15 weeks, so I'm sure I will be feeling it soon. I go back to the dr on the 10th & then 2 weeks later to find out the gender. I am so excited. I told Chris yesterday, I really need to get organized here or the baby is going to be here before I know it. He informed me I would know because I am the one having the baby. What a funny guy!:)

Jillian is being such a good girl. Her terrible two's aren't as bad as what they were at the beginning of December. We went to Illinois yesterday. She kept going up to her great grandma (Granny) and hugging her & patting her leg. She absolutely loves Granny. Which of course makes Granny happy. She loves to walk up & down the halls at Granny's Independent Living house. It is funny to see her "strut" her stuff. I told her teacher the other day it would help me out if she would maybe send home a list of songs they sing at school. Jillian loves to sing, but sometimes it is hard for me to figure out what she is singing. Her teacher told me that Jillian sings songs that they don't' sing there. LOL. She sings some of them so well, I can't believe they don't sing them there. She must have really listened to me when she was a baby & I would rock & sing to her! She is still telling me all the time that she loves me sooo much. What a sweetie!

2010-02-02T21:23:00.004-05:00

We will start with Jillian. She has been such a good girl recently. Still having "trouble" hearing me sometimes, but all in all she is a good girl. So sweet & loving. She always puts her arm under my head when we are laying in her bed & she pulls my head to her shoulder & tells me to lay down. I got sick last night & she actually came into the bathroom and rubbed my arm and wanted to flush the toilet. She likes to kiss and hug my belly. She told me last night she likes my baby belly. She has no idea how much bigger it will get in the coming weeks!. She always tells me she has a baby in her belly. Tonight she actually told me there were 2 babies in her belly! Better her than me. LOL. She told my mom last week that the blouse she was wearing was beautiful. If she sees a guy out & about she calls him "big guy" ie "What is that big guy doing?" Her teacher told me recently Jillian is the only one in her class that knows all her colors! (pat on our back for working with her). If you ask she says she wants a little sister (which is what I want to give her also). She told me on Sunday that she loves me sooo much! Aww! Chris says it is because she is manipulative & was just happy I let her stay up a half hour later to watch Dora! I say, who cares, my 2 year old loves me sooo much!
Now onto pregnancy. It hasn't been as bad with this one as I was with Jillian. But I think alot of that has to do with the fact that I eat very little of a variety of food. Mainly toast, crackers, chicken noodle soup, turkey & cheese roll ups & a baked potato. I still take my Zofran & phenergan. I have some good days where I actually feel slightly normal. Evenings aren't very good. I did go almost a week without throwing up, until Sunday night & then again last night! I am 11 weeks today so either I have 5 weeks or 15 weeks left of eating cardboard! (I was sick for 26 weeks with Jillian). My ultrasound I posted last week shows I am due on August 24th which was my Aunt Betty's birthday and the day after Darcy's birthday. Both Dr. Gates and I decided we wouldn't induce on the 23rd because we couldn't let Darcy's ego get any bigger. LOL. I went early with Jillian so maybe I only have 27 weeks left! I go to the doctor again next Wednesday. I am looking forward to hearing the heartbeat again. I can't wait to finally feel the baby move. I will be a little more relaxed when that happens. I know I am still producing hormones to support the child since I am feeling sick all the time, but it will still ease my mind feeling it move & not having to wait for 4 weeks to hear the heartbeat. The "pencil" test Ellen gave me says it is a boy! I don't really want a boy since we have so much girl stuff, but as long as it is healthy, I will be happy. We will find out in 9 weeks what we are having!
I'm signing off for now. I will try to do better at posting so they aren't so long. But everyone knows I am windy.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-26T19:48:00.003-05:00

Jililan smiling pretty for the camera.

Jillian after eating Fun Dip.

Jillian had a "booboo" on her forehead. She put one on my forehead too, but I didn't get a picture of me.

Jillian with a frog suction cup on her forehead in the bathtub.

Jillian on her "tower" that she built on the couch.

Jillians cereal mess.

Baby #2. I know it isn't a good picture, but hey, at least I got it scanned finally!

My belly at 10 weeks. (today 1/26/10)

2010-01-12T21:23:00.002-05:00

Jillian is such a stinker! I think God decided to keep the terrible 2's at bay until I got pregnant. He knew after I got pregnant, I couldn't decide to make Jillian an only child. LOL. She just doesn't listen to me. Last night when I picked her up from daycare, I had to pull the car over on the road from daycare and set her straight. I had to tell her that if she continued to act the way she was acting or talking to me the way she was talking to me, she would NOT be watching any of her shows or play with any of her toys. She quickly changed her attitude, smiled & said "Jillian funny." I keep trying to tell her that when she is mean to me, it isn't funny. I think she just says that to change to subject. LOL. She is 2 1/2 going on 13! When I picked her up yesterday, she told me she wanted McDonalds & Taco Bell (she says this every night, like we eat out every day), when I told her we weren't going to either place, she yelled at me that she NEEDED Taco Bell. She almost growled it! Tonight, she was in our room and when I went in to make sure she was ok, she was looking at her butt in the full length mirror. I went in to tell Chris & when I went back in there she was at our door & said "get out of my house" and closed the door in my face. Then she wouldn't come out!!! We figured out it was because she had pooped. She is starting to get embarrassed when she poops, hopefully that is a good sign for some potty training in the future. (I'm just too sick & tired to do it right now. Ok, maybe and a little lazy).
She doesn't bat an eye when I throw up. Last night, we were laying on the couch together, I got up & ran to the bathroom to get sick. I don't even think she noticed I was gone even though she had to hear me in the bathroom. But when I cry (which is often, I must admit), she is very loving. She asks me if I am ok and gives me a hug with a pat on the back. AWWW. She has been having a hard time with me laying on the couch on bad days. She has become even more clingy than before I found out I was preggo. She was getting up very early & coming to sleep with us/me. If daddy tries to do anything for her, like getting her ready for bed or actually putting her to bed, she cries "My mommy." Which breaks part of my heart, but then I also think she is doing it for attention. She has finally gotten used to Chris giving her a bath (the smells in the bathroom don't mix well with my belly). So, anyway. My pregnancy will be an interesting journey for our family. I will hopefully get better at blogging.

Pregnant!!!!

2010-01-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

On December 22, I decided to email my OBGYN and ask to be put on Provera to get the ball rolling on starting Clomid. I knew they would ask me to take a pregnancy test to make sure I wasn't pregnant before I started the Provera. So, I got up on Monday morning, took a Dollar Store pregnancy test, that I was sure it would show negative. And low & behold, it was positive. I wish there was a video camera in the bathroom because I am sure I looked very comical. I thought maybe I was looking at the test incorrectly. I just kept looking at the test & then at the box to make sure I was reading it correctly. LOL. I thought for sure I was reading something wrong! I called Chris right away, who I don't think even knew I was going to take a test and told him....................

I started this post the week of Christmas, but never did finish it. Shortly after starting the post, I started getting sick with morning sickness. It was pretty much debilitating like it was for Jillian. I have alreay been in the hospital once for dehydration (1-4-10). New Years Eve was a bust for me because of my pregnancy, but everyone else seemed to have a good time. Guess there is always next year. They tried to kill me in the hospital with putting in my IV's. I have bruises up and down my arm from where they tried & failed. The nurses finally got an anesthesiologist to do it (wonder what THAT is going to cost!!) Since that trip to the hospital, I have been doing pretty good. I was very nervous about actually getting sick because I didn't want to get on the vicious cycle again of getting sick & then dehydrated. But I have gotten sick a few times & haven't gotten dehydrated. YIPPEE! They actually educated me about what to eat, what to stay away from and that dehydration & nausea is a vicious cycle that is hard to get away from once it has started. So, hopefully, this info will help me control my morning sickness. I have an ultrasound appointment, appointment with an OB nurse & then an appointment with my FAVORITE doctor, Dr. Gates. I will hopefully feel ok & will post that evening or shortly after.

2 weeks of updates

2009-12-26T20:42:00.005-05:00

We have had a busy couple of weeks. And I don't have many pictures, so just to forewarn some of you readers, this will be a long blog. LOL
Last Friday, the 18th, Jillian had her first Christmas program at daycare. Quite comical. They were supposed to sing "Away in a Manger" and "Twinkle, Twinkle". She didn't sing either one, but she did stand up on stage and jumped up and down a few times. We were all surprised that she stayed up on stage, but I think that was because it was dark in the auditorium and she couldn't see us. I did get video of it, but no pictures. I have been very bad about taking pictures.
Saturday, the 19th, we went to Greensburg for Christmas with them. It was slightly stressful for me because I was soooo tired & Jillian didn't take a nap. She was also not in her environment, so mommy was her choice of toys, but I didn't really want to play because I was so tired. We made it through even though I was getting a little ticked at Chris because Jillian was up my butt & he wasn't helping much. When we got home, I gave Jillian a bath while she screamed & pitched a fit. She was so mad that I was making her take a bath & since she hadn't had a nap it was awful. I, thankfully, just laughed.
I didn't work Thursday & for some reason, decided to be one of those idiots who went shopping on Christmas Eve. What a nightmare! Then we went down to the Hollands for Christmas with them. We had a nice time. Jillian got alot of stuff, as usual. Her 2 favorite things were the Dora bike below:

And a cute Mickey/Minnie Mouse golf set. She has played with both of those things the most. She also got a couple of Dora DVD's that she has already watched numerous times. We came home & went to bed. Jillian insisted on sleeping with wrapping paper. I think just to try to prolong going to sleep, but I let her go to sleep with it.

After she went to sleep, the wrapping began. I wrapped quite a bit & Chris ran out to Walgreens to get some chalk and dry erase markers for her easel. He said on the way out of WAlgreens he saw a Dora stuffed doll.

This is our tree after Santa left. We weren't sure how Jillian would be the morning of Christmas. We weren't sure if she got the whole Christmas concept. Well, she came into our room at 8:30 a.m. and said "Mommy, Dora is under the tree." So, she obviously got up, came out here and then decided to come get us. She was so excited. I didn't get any pictures, but she would open something and say "oh it is so cuutte." She absolutely loved the Dora doll. She has taken it everywhere we have gone since yesterday morning which includes Rick & Shelley's yesterday and Illinois today. She got lots of games & toys. She wants to play the games, but doesn't really get the concept, so we just get them out and do whatever it is she wants to do with them. We went down to Rick & Shelley's yesterday for a couple of hours. We had a good time. We ate & played some games on the Wii. Then we came home, played some of Jillian's games & went to bed.
Today, Darcy, me and the kids went to see Granny. We had a nice time. Granny cried when we left, like she always does. It affected me more today than normal. I cried as I walked down the hallway to leave. I think Rhianna had a hard time too seeing me cry. She seemed to avoid eye contact with me all of a sudden. When we got home, Chris & Jillian played while I made dinner. Then we ate & I gave Jillian a bath. She got a Dora bath doll that she played with, quite a bit. Messy, but she had a good time. It was cute watching her talk to her like we talk to Jillian while giving her a bath. Then she went to bed without much incidence. I told Chris it was pretty easy tonight, but I was afraid to go in & check on her because of all the stuff she had in her bed when I left. He went in & told me I needed to come look at her. This is how we found her. She loves that doll!! I'm glad he saw it last minute.

Tomorrow is the last of Christmas, thankfully. LOL. It is my families turn. If it weren't for tomorrow, I probably would have taken the tree down tonight. I had some energy & felt pretty good, but figured it should stay up til at least after tomorrow!

2009-12-13T21:11:00.002-05:00

This past Monday, the roads in Indy were AWFUL! They were covered in ice! It took me over 2 hours to get Jillian to daycare and back home. I planned on going to work, but I was going to run out of gas if I stayed in traffic too long. It probably would have taken me 3 hours to get to work. On a normal day it would take me 25 minutes top to get her to daycare & then to work, so I was sooo frustrated.
On Wednesday, we had our office Christmas party. We went rock climbing. As you can see below, I made it up the wall once. It was the easiest wall, but I am still very proud of myself. I don't think I will do it very often if ever again, but I can at least say I tried it once.

Me trying to tighten up the darn harnesses!!

Me making it to the top of the wall!!

Relaxing with Ellen after rock climbing.

On Friday, I picked Jillian up at daycare & we headed to Walmart. She was good through Walmart and when I told her we were going to McDonald's she said "Yeah McDonald's" quite loudly a few times. It was cute, but it went downhill from there. She was crying & hollering when we got in the car & I asked what was wrong with her. She said "I sad." I asked her why and she said "I don't know!" I had been asking her what she wanted from McDonald's, she kept going back & forth on chicken & cheeseburger. So, as she is carrying on, I said "Jillian, you can get a cheeseburger & I will get chicken nuggets & you can have some of my nuggets." It was like the faucet was turned off. She immediately stopped crying & started asking what things were that she saw. It was probably a "had to be there" moment, but it was like she was crying so badly because she had to make a decision on what she wanted for dinner from McDonald's!
Saturday we got up & went to Breakfast with Santa. I didn't make her sit on Santa's lap. She didn't even care when her "friends" were getting their pictures with Santa, she was having NONE of that! Below are a few pictures.

Jillian and I at Breakfast with Santa.

Jillian after she "wrote" a letter to Santa.

Jillian and I decorating a "dog tag" necklace.

Ellen, me, Jillian, Shannon & Ray at Breakfast with Santa

We came home & just played. A friend of ours came to visit from Ohio, so my mom came over to watch Jillian, so we could go out. We went to Dawson's for dinner. Man it was sooo good. I was so full, but didn't want to stop eating because the steak just practically melted in my mouth. YUM! Then we went to Kelly's Pub, but didn't stay there too long because Chris started feeling ill. He actually went outside & puked by his car. And not due to alcohol as so many would think. We ended up coming home & it got UGLY from there. He was violently puking til 3:30 a.m. almost every hour. It sounded really bad. He hasn't thrown up since 3:30 a.m., but feels very worn out today & has a low grade fever. I feel so bad for him & his friend, Chris, because we haven't seen him since our wedding & it was kind of a flop. I ended up staying up with Ohio Chris til 1:00 drinking wine, talking & watching Bride Wars.

Some Jillian funnies (or smart butt remarks) from this weekend:
On Friday she said out of the blue "I have an idea" then right after that she said "I have a popsicle idea". So she must have wanted a popsicle even though she never did get one.
Saturday, she was laying in bed with us before we went to breakfast & I told her no about something & she said "don't tell me no". I just laughed because I know where she has heard that before!!
Ellen bought her some candy at Target after breakfast & she said "yumm, this tastes good in my mouth."
I said to her on Saturday "how bout pizza?" she said "how bout no!"
Then today I told her if she didn't do something I was going to spank her and she said "you can't spank me" I resisted, but I wanted to get her out of the bathtub & show her that I COULD spank her.
Everyone says 2-3 yrs of age is bad, but it gets better by 4, I sure hope I can make it because she is so stubborn, hard headed & doesn't listen to me until I have said something 5 times! She is sooo frustrating sometimes. UGH! But I guess it is just a part of parenting & I better get used to it especially if I plan on having another one soon!

2009-12-06T20:11:00.005-05:00

Well, below is a picture of Chris's finished project:

He says no one understands his "vision" but it helped get 3 tubs of clothes out of our bedroom, so I like it. Jillian loves it. She won't get in or out of her bed without climbing the stairs. She was putting a bunch of books in the toy box part today. He says he needs to repaint the inside of the toy box before we actually put her toys in it (can we say perfectionist??)
Below are a couple of pictures of Thanksgiving at my house Friday. It was such a good time. I love spending time with my family.

My Aunt Sally and Granny at Thanksgiving.

Jillian and Granny at Thanksgiving.

This week has been a typical week. I did actually go to step aerobics on Tuesday. Yeah for me. So glad I went. Goal is to go again this week. On Friday night we went to Christmas at the Zoo with Dani, PJ & Brooklyn. Boy was it COLD!!!

Jillian before going into Christmas at the Zoo (Ellen talked me into the gloves, but they were WAY too big. Very funny!)

We had a good time though. Jillian loved the penguins and the "teddy" bear which was actually the polar bear. We went & saw both of those animals twice along with the walrus. He was even active which is abnormal. He normally just stands along the glass which is what he was doing the first time we saw him (and yes, I know for a fact it was a boy. lol). The second time around, he started to climb out of the water & then laid back, splashed in the water & swam down by the glass. After the Zoo, we drove around the circle because Jillian loves the Christmas lights. She wants us to drive around our block everytime she gets in the car so she can see the lights around the neighborhood. She gets so excited!
Saturday Chris got the tree down & put it together. Jillian put the bulbs on (which she calls bouncy balls)as you can see below:

Jillian decorating the tree.

Our Christmas tree decorated by Jillian (notice how all the bulbs are low & clustered together??)

I had hooks on them, but she didn't hang them up by the hook, she hung them up by the little loop that you put the hook onto (hope that makes sense). She had so much fun doing it. She was taking some of them off tonight & putting them on somewhere else. We didn't do much of anything else on saturday. We got on Nickjr.com & she watched a Dora episode over & over. We had tacos for dinner at Jillians request. She loves tacos. She is so adventurous too with her food. She had sour cream, lettuce, cheese & catalina dressing. Which is exactly what I had, her daddy on the other hand....just cheese. LOL

I went to Walmart this a.m. and bought some donuts. Jillian, of course, picked the most colorful donut to eat:

Jillian eating a donut for breakfast this morning.

Then my mom came over. We made Chex mix, peanut butter blossoms & peppermint bark. We attempted hard candy, but my microwave was stronger than my mom realized & we burnt it. We couldn't believe how much it was smoking. We put it outside, it was that bad!!
I skipped eating dinner tonight & am eating the chex mix instead. lol. I can't diet this time of year!!

2009-11-28T21:50:00.003-05:00

It has been a busy week! We had the day off on Wednesday and some of the girls and I from work went & saw New Moon, which was wonderful. We were the only ones in the room, so it was nice being able to talk out loud to each other. I picked Jillian up a little bit early from daycare so we could make cookies. She liked eating the cookie dough even though I kept telling her not to do it.
Thursday we got up & went to Brooke & Steve's for Thanksgiving dinner. My mom went with us, we had a good time. Jillian fell asleep on the way home and unfortunately didn't go back to sleep when we got her out of the car. So, guess what we watched.....Dora! OMG the girl is obsessed with Dora. Every waking moment she has to be watching Dora. (it is so bad she was telling me tonight step by step about the Christmas episode while we were laying in bed tonight). My mom left & then came back to stay the night. Chris had to work & Ellen talked me into getting up at 4:00 a.m., yes I wrote 4:00 a.m., for Black Friday.
I kept debating with myself on if I wanted to actually get up & go, but I am so glad I did! We were going to stand in line at Target to get a bag they were handing out to the first 500 people, but the line was too long & it was WAY to cold to do it. So we started out at Walmart since they were letting you in the store, you just couldn't get any of their deals until 5:00. It was amazing at 5:00 when they were unwrapping all of the stuff, how you could just "hear" the excitement level increase. Ellen "dove" in and got Jillian some pjs & a hoodie. I thought at one point in time I had lost her because she was gone in the pj section for quite a while. Note to self for next year: don't take a cart! It would have been much better for myself if I didn't have to deal with a cart in the madness. Checkout was amazingly easy. Then we headed off to Target and met Dana there. The checkout line was pretty long, but it moved pretty quick too. We got home around 7:15. I wanted to try to take a nap, but I of course wasn't tired by then. My grandma, Aunt Sally and cousin Jeremiah got here around 10:30. I had to run to the store like 3 times throughout the day. And then we needed baking powder, but thankfully my mom & Jeremiah ran to the store because I refused!We had a nice time. They made 5 lb loaf and peanut blossoms. My grandma as sitting at the table near the end of the evening & asked how she was doing. She started crying and said she feels like she is such a nuisance to everyone and just gets in the way. How sad! It made me cry too. I told her I was so happy she was here & it made the day even better because she was here. I love her so much!
Today, Chris, Jillian and I got up and went to Bob Evans. And guess what Chris did when we got home????? He moved Jillian's bed back into her room!! Yeah! She even got to take a nap in her own room. He finished for the most part yesterday, there are a few spots he needs to touch-up, but he can do that with her bed in the room. Other than that, we did nothing. I will post pictures of Thanksgiving at my house & her room tomorrow.
I have had such a great Thanksgiving! Can't wait til Christmas. We are reading Christmas books that Aunt Darcy gave to Jillian yesterday. Jillian has no desire to sit on Santa's lap. On the way down to Brooke's she kept saying "I no sit on Santa's lap" with her little finger waving at me. That is her new thing. Pointing her finger at me when she is adamant on something. I need to watch what I am doing with her because obviously I must do that to her.
More tomorrow, I think this is long enough. I will try to think of some funnies that Jillian said this week.

2009-11-22T21:40:00.002-05:00

It has been yet another quiet weekend here at the Holland home. Saturday, Ellen came & picked Jillian up for a few hours so I could clean the house. After she got home, we ran to Target where I bought Dora's Christmas movie. So, we watched that over and over again last night. Today, her and I ran to Walmart and that was about it. Below are the pictures to give everyone an idea of what Chris is doing in Jillians room. It isn't done yet, so I will have to post the end results this week. (because it better be done before Thanksgiving).

Jillian helping daddy with her room.

Jillian admiring daddy's work in her room.

The basic of what Chris is doing in Jillians room

We watched alot of Dora today (boy, I am already sick of Dora!!)We were playing with the chutes & Ladders game. She said one piece was mine, one was hers, one was daddys and one was Granny's (her great grandma on my side). She always thinks about granny. It is very cute especially since she hasn't seen Granny a crazy amount of times in her short 2.5 years. But she must think an awful lot of her because she brings her up alot!!!
Tonight after dinner she said "I tired." But whenever I mentioned taking a bath & going to bed, she decided she wasn't tired. She started pointing her finger at me and yelling "I NOT TIRED MOMMY!!" Not even 3 yet & she talks to me like she is a teenager. So, I knew she was tired because that is the only time she acts that way. We watched Toy Story 2 for awhile & then she went to bed about 8:00 and didn't holler out at either Chris or I at all. Which is very unusual for her. She fell asleep pretty quickly, thankfully!
The other night, Jillian and I were laying in our bed and I decided to get her some mini Oreo cookies. I put them in a cup & thought we could share them. Well, she didn't like that idea at all at first. Once I finally convinced her that was the only way she was going to get any, this is how she decided to share with me: She would break the 2 cookies apart, eat the filling off of one cookie and give me the other half of the cookie!!
Something else cute she does is every night when she takes a bath, she lines up cups on the edge of the bathtub & makes me "eat" whatever she says is in the cup. She has 2 disposable spoons in her bathtub too, for some reason. She also always has a cup to drink for me, her and Chris. The other night, we had to feed her little stuffed duckie bath toy.
I only work 2 days this week, tough life, huh? Wednesday some friends and I are going to see Twilight. Turkey day we are going down to Brooke's house, my mom is going to join us this year. Which will be nice. Then on Friday, my family is coming over to my house for our Thanksgiving. I think they are staying the night so we can make candy on Saturday. I can't wait! Unfortunately, my grandmother seems to be declining, so the more time I spend with her, especially on the holidays the better!!

2009-11-17T22:01:00.002-05:00

Well, I got scolded by Grandma Juju, for not blogging more, so I figure I better make an entry. I have become addicted to some stupid game on Facebook, so it has been using up all my attention and spare time.
I don't even know when the last time I actual blogged anything substantial. On Friday November 6, Jillian and I went to a birthday party for my friend Hollys little girl, Kayla. She turned one. We had a nice time. I was very proud of Jillian because she went to say goodbye to Holly and just made her way through the crowd & didn't get shy whenever everyone was gathered around her. That Saturday, Jillian went down to Bob & Lana's to stay the night so Chris and I could go to a party at Mark & Annies. We had a good time, from what I can remember. I got a little tipsy, to say the least. Chris says I ended up upstairs in their spare bedroom with my coat on and the pillow & comforter over my head. I don't even remember the ride home.
Tuesday evening, Jillian, Ellen, Dana & I went to Costco. We had fun. Jillian was the life of the party. At one point in time, jillian said something about me having a big butt, thanks to Ellen egging it on. Isn't that sweet? I think that actually came from Holly, but Ellen had to bring it up in the car for laughter! Dana & Ellen seemed to get her very wired and then of course, they just got out of my car & I was left to a hyper little girl not ready for bed!!
This Friday, I went to a Lia Sophia party. Which is jewelry. That was fun too. Small crowd, but fun. Saturday, we didn't do anything really except a short trip to Walmart. I didn't get out of my pjs until 3:00!!! I haven't had a lazy day like that in forever!! I even got a 2 1/2 hour nap. Chris and I were supposed to go out that night, but we weren't really in the mood. Sunday we went Thanksgiving shopping with my mom. Jillian is a hoot to go to Walmart because everything she sees, she has to ask what it is! She was very intrigued with my moms scooter. A cousin of Chris's passed away, so my mom watched Jillian while we drove down to Shelbyville.
So, I think that is enough of an update to keep Grandma Juju happy for a little bit. LOL. Love you Judy!!! I will try to get some pics posted soon.

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-12T08:05:00.002-05:00

I am thankful for my husband. He is not only a great husband, he is a great daddy. He gave Jillian a bath last night without me even asking him! Which gave me time to get caught up on some laundry. He is also building Jillian something for her room. It is a secret, for some reason, so I can't go into details, but I will post the pictures when he is done. Some people think our relationship is a little different at times, but I found my perfect mate. We are more alike than I like to admit sometimes. He is funny, sarcastic, loving, a good provider and has many more great qualities. I love him very much and am so thankful that he "raced" me to buying a drink at Jillians Bar 9+ years ago!!

2009-11-02T21:18:00.003-05:00

Friday Jillian had a Halloween Party at daycare.

Getting ready for her Halloween party at school.

They went "trick or treating" at school. She actually got quite a bit of candy. Her and I stopped by Taco Bell for dinner. That was our first time to Taco Bell, at least for her. I got her 2 soft tacos & she actually ate all but half of her second one. My mom then came over for a visit to give Jillian her Halloween candy. It was in a very cute chinese take out container.
On Saturday, we went to the Plainfield Aquatic Center for a Halloween "party". She bounced in a bounce house for a little bit, tried to decorate a pumpkin (but the glue wasn't sticking AT ALL!!) and watched Casper the cartoon with Julia & Brooklyn (and PJ & daddy). She didn't want a tattoo, she didn't want to decorate a monster or ghost, but she did like going from table to table & snatching the candy off.

Our pretty 50's barbie.

Jillian & Julia watching Casper at Plainfield Aquatic Center on Halloween.

Then we went out to lunch with Bob & Lana at Red Robin. The food was delicious, Bob and Chris on the other hand had male pms. Everything Lana & I said was wrong someway or another. LOL. They gave Jillian some money instead of candy, which was good. She ended up with plenty of candy & she loves to put money in her piggy bank.
Then we came home to take a nap. I couldn't decide if I wanted to take Jillian trick or treating because I just didn't think she would do well going house to house. So, we met Dani, PJ & Brooklyn down at Pioneer Park for their trick or treating. It was a nice set up. They had different "stations" on a mile track handing out little toys & things. They didn't hand out much candy, much to Chris's dismay. LOL. Jillian sat in her umbrella stroller, with her coat on & a blanket over her legs because it was so chilly. She didn't say trick or treat, but she did a wonderful job holding open her bag and thanking the people that were handing the things out. Even with her coat and blanket on, we still heard "Oh she is so cute" plenty of times.

Jillian just HAD to swing after we went trick or treating at Pioneer Park.

Jillian playing with her rocks after trick or treating.

Jillian cooking in half of her costume after trick or treating.

Sunday we didn't do much of anything, but Jillian and I went to Walmart. I think the time change may have messed with Jillian's internal clock. She took a longer than normal nap yesterday and got up at 4:45 a.m. today!! She started the day off on an early note & it turned out to be a very lllooonnnggg day at work! She seems abnormally tired too.
Friday, my friend Holly's daughter, Kayla turns one, so Jillian & I are going to help celebrate at her party. Saturday, Chris and I have a party to go to, so Bob & Lana are going to watch Jillian. I am looking forward to a fun filled weekend.

Jillians funnies.

2009-10-28T20:12:00.002-04:00

I didn't post anything on Sunday because we didn't really do anything. Chris said I was probably going to be in trouble with Grandma Juju, so I decided to write some of the funny things Jillian has said and done recently.
Every night I read to her after letting her decide which book she wants me to read. It is normally these little Sesame Street books that she got for her 2nd birthday from her Aunt Shelley, Uncle Rick & the girls. I tell her to pick which book she wants to read (there are I think 10-12 of them). The smart little girl picks up the book & actually says which book it is. She amazes me. Not only does she know the book by looking at it, she has most of them memorized. She pratically reads them herself. Maybe all 28 month olds know these things, but she just seems so smart to us. It is so cute to listen to her "read" the words of the books.
She saw her Halloween costume on Saturday and asked what it was. I told her it was her Halloween costume and she said "I no wear." She really doesn't want anything to do with Halloween. I can't imagine what will happen on Halloween. On Sunday, while I was getting ready, she kept telling her daddy "Wake up little missy." I have no idea where she heard that saying before cause I don't think we use that term.
We were on our way to the doctor on Monday for a head check and she said "I no see Dr. Bender." I told her it would just to check her head and that made her more sad and she just kept crying "I no want head checked." It was sad, but still cute. On our way to Danis to see baby Will on Monday I told her she was my punkin and she said "I Jillian." On our way home, she stuck her fingers in her ears and said "I listen." Which I think she was meaning to say "I'm not listening." It was very hard not to laugh.
Then last night, when I was reading to her, she was kind of wound up. I kept telling her it was time to go to bed and she needed to relax. She then proceeded to make me put my head down and relax. When I would try to lift my head, she would shove it down and say "Relax!" Tonight, while reading, we were on the "color" book. I asked what her favorite color was and she, honest to God, pulled out her shirt, looked down and said "I white." LMAO! She just cracks me up. I am going to have to record her when we go to bed because I think that is some of her funniest times.
Friday is her Halloween party at school and then we are going to a Halloween party at the Plainfield Aquatic Center on Saturday. I am not too sure about Trick or Treating yet. I think we are going to Franklin for a trip to the Holland grandparents. My mom will be in Illinois, so she won't be around. Boo hoo. I will try to take some pictures if she allows me to, but she is so fickle, who knows.

2009-10-18T21:17:00.005-04:00

I love the picture below, so I decided I needed to post it. I find it quite funny.

Chris and I found Jillian this way the other night when we went to check on her.

On friday, Chris and I met up with Dani and PJ. It was their 4th wedding anniversary on Thursday so we went out to dinner to celebrate. Dani has been on bed rest for the past 3-4 weeks, so it was nice talking to her more than just text messaging. Her Dr. told her as long as she doesn't stand or walk alot, she is ok to do some things, so dinner was ok for her. The steak, wine & company were very good. Rhianna watched Jillian while we were at dinner so I drove her home. I sat at her house for about an hour or so and just talked. It was nice. We were alone & talked about all kinds of things. It is nice knowing that she can talk openly with me, at least I hope she knows she can always turn to me.
Saturday we went down to Brooke and Steve's for Dane's birthday party. We had a good time. I love hanging out with family. Jillian was a very good girl. Dane got some good gifts.

This morning, Jillian and I got up and made cookies.

Jillian putting sprinkles on our cookies this morning

Jillian eating our finished product.

We had a good time making them. Jillian liked eating the sprinkles more than she did actually sprinkling the cookies. Sprinkles were everywhere! But it was still fun making them and hanging out with her.
After we made cookies and Jillian took a short nap, Darcy & her family came & picked Jillian and I up and we headed over to Illinois. We went over to celebrate my grandmas 83rd birthday at her nursing home. My mom and Aunt Sally prepared a sundae bar, which was delicious. She had a great turn out, which isn't surprising because my grandma is well loved. It was nice seeing some family that I don't see very often. Jillian was again a very good girl. She strutted through the halls with such confidence. The elderly people just loved her. Here are some pictures from the day.

Darcy & Granny at Granny's birthday partyDarcy, Rhianna & Jillian

Rhianna, Oscar, me and Jillian

Granny, me and Jillian (Jillian didn't want to have her picture taken)

Me and Rhianna

On the way home, Darcy got pulled over & Jillian kept asking about the policeman. She had learned all about the police at daycare when one came to visit. It was kinda cute. I thought she would fall asleep on the way home, but she didn't. She was very tired and kind of got clingy. She wanted me to put my head in her lap, so I layed down over the seat & did it. She kept playing with my earrings and hair. It was very sweet. She just seemed so loving.
So, needless to say,it was a very busy weekend, but a good one. I have no plans so far next weekend, but I am sure that will change.

2009-10-11T20:04:00.002-04:00

Not much to post really. We didn't do much of anything all weekend. Jillian and I went to Walmart yesterday than after her nap her and I went down to Franklin to visit Bob & Lana. it was a nice visit. She doesn't get to see them often enough.
Then today, Chris, Jillian and I went to Flapjacks for breakfast. Then after Jillians nap, Ellen, Jillian and I went to a purse party at a previous co-workers of ours. I didn't buy a purse, but Jillian found a necklace that she liked and wouldn't take off. So, I ended up buying it for her, for $20 freaking bucks. It really isn't the most attractive necklace, but it has rocks on it. Two of her favorite things: rocks and necklaces. Then we came home and just did the normal Sunday thing: laundry, playing & cooking dinner. Pretty laid back weekend. Which I will look back at & enjoy because I think next weekend is going to be very busy.
I am going to the Covered Bridge Festival on Wednesday with Dana & Ellen. This is only my second time there, so we will see if I find anything I need to buy. Saturday, we are going to Danes birthday party and maybe doing something that evening. Sunday I am going over to my grandmas in the later afternoon to celebrate her birthday. She turnes 83 on Wednesday. Her party doesn't start til 4:00 their time, which is 5:00 our time. I'm sure Jillian and I will be exhausted on Monday. But I am sure coffee will help me out & nap time will help her.

2009-10-04T21:15:00.003-04:00

Friday was Colts day at school today, so I went out & bought Jillian a Colts jersey. Her other Colts shirts were onsies & she was beginning to outgrow them & the jersey is so much cuter.

On Saturday, Chris, Jillian and I went to Anderson Orchard to pick out a pumpkin. Jillian didn't want to get down & walk so I could get a picture of her in front of all the pumpkins, so the one below is about the only one I could get of her.

When we got home from the orchard I was bringing her in the house to put her to bed. I took her to her room, sat down with her on her glider & she PUKED on me. Disgusting! Thankfully, Chris cleaned it all up because I don't know if I would have been able to clean it up. It was truly disgusting. And there was so much of it. After she did it, we sat in the chair in the living room for a few minutes, but after that, she ate spaghetti o's and acted as if nothing was wrong. She ran around and when we put her in her bed, she played & goofed off and didn't actually fall asleep until 3:40, Chris said. I had to take a nap because the night wasn't a good one when it comes to Jillian and sleeping. We were up off & on from midnight to 4:00 a.m. and then back up for good at 6:00 a.m. So, I had to take a nap or I was going to lose it. She was back up by 5:00 p.m. and I don't even know if she was asleep whenever I opened up her bedroom door. I decided the reason she got sick was because she drank apple juice that had expired (I know, bad mommy, guess that is why I got puked on) She was pretty cranky for awhile, but got alot better near the end of the night. As you can see with the picture below. She was playing with daddy.

Then today, we went to Bob Evans and Walmart. We dropped Chris off and went to help my mom empty out her car from moving back in to her house from my dads house. We ran over to Ellens after the Colts game so she could tack up some of Jillians jeans. She doesn't really like wearing pants, but she needs them for school.
Jillian today wearing her Colts jersey, minus her pants, but plus her socks & shoes.

The picture below is of her laying on the floor picking up her Memory cards before she could play with the microwave. Isn't she cute??

2009-09-27T20:00:00.003-04:00

We have had another good weekend. Friday, Chris and I watched a movie. Saturday, we went to Walmart, hung out at home & watched 2 more movies. Today, Jillian and I went to JcPenneys to buy her some fall/winter clothes and then back to Walmart for a quick shopping trip. I have really enjoyed these past two weekends just hanging out at home. Which surprises me because I always think I need to get out of the house, but then enjoy it when I don't.

Jillian loves to help me cook. Last night she helped me cook ravioli. The ravioli is frozen, but she poured in the pizza sauce and spread the cheese. That is what she is doing in the picture below:

Jillian helping me cook dinner on Saturday.
Doesn't she just look so cute with her apron on & actually smiling at the camera.

Jillian figured out how to get in the freezer! She is too smart for her own good.
She loves her pancakes & waffles to be frozen when she eats them. So maybe now on Saturday morning, we can just tell her to go out & get in the freezer for breakfast. LOL.

Not, only does she like to help me cook dinner,s he also likes to cook her babies. Last Sunday when she was home with Chris she told him she was putting her babies to sleep and put them in the microwave. But yesterday, she told me repeatedly that she wanted to cook her babies. I unplugged it, so she couldn't turn it on because she was pressing buttons. And I have let her help me start the microwave before, so I am sure she would figure it out.
The pictures below are when we got home from Dana's wedding. She refused to take off her dress. Maybe she felt a little like Cinderella because she was helping out around the house alot. As you can see in the photos below.

Our little cook.

Jillian helping me change the trash bag.

Jillian helping me with the dishwasher.

Thankful Thursday

2009-09-24T06:56:00.003-04:00

I am thankful once again for my beautiful daughter and my wonderful husband.
My daughter makes me realize to slow down & enjoy life. Who cares if things don't get done around the house. As long as I lay with her for a few minutes before bed, she is normally happy. She is truly a blessing. Even when I am uptight, she makes me realize, I need to relax and enjoy every moment of her life because it is amazing how fast she is growing up.
My husband is a little kooky, but I get him and he gets me. We are more alike then I like to admit sometimes. I always have his back and he has mine. Even if we don't agree with the Clomid situation, we normally agree on most things. And if we don't, we have learned to compromise and discuss it like somewhat mature adults.
I am very lucky & thankful for the 2 wonderful people that I live with everyday. For loving and understanding me, I don't know if I could be more thankful.

2009-09-20T20:11:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, I don't really have much to say. This weekend has kind of been boring. Visited with my mom on Friday night. Saturday afternoon we went & got Jillian a haircut, then headed out to Plainfield to try to find a Halloween costume for Jillian. Jillian didn't like the Halloween decor there at all! Then we went to Tx Roadhouse. The steak I had was delicious. Jillian wasn't awful, but she sure wasn't great. I slept so good last night, I don't even remember Chris coming to bed! Today, I went over & cleaned up my moms house because she is planning on moving back in there this week. It needs ALOT of work, but at least I feel a little better with her going back in there for the time being. Jillian got her crayons taken away because she colored all over her glider seat & after we had a talk about it, she colored on her potty lid. So, those were taken away. She isn't listening to either Chris nor I very well, but I think it is just a typical 2 year old. We definitely don't let her get away with it! Stinker.
I called my OBGYN this week to find out about starting Clomid. He said I could start anytime I wanted since I am so irregular. Chris said NO! Butt head. He is just worried about having twins. It only increases the chances by 7%. Like I want twins. HELL NO! He said we haven't been trying long enough yet (technically only 1 month, but I say 3). He said we could start Clomid in January, but I was wanting November, so we compromised for December. So, I will have to keep my blogging updated on that progress.
So, that is all I really have to say. Not a whole lot & no pictures.

cracking up

2009-09-16T20:10:00.003-04:00

Tonight before bed, I was reading to Jillian an Elmo ABC book. We got to the "I" which is of course for ice cream. She said, "ice cream, cold, good, mmmm." And she said this everytime we got the the "I". Then right before I was leaving the room, she had on her yellow ladybug hat on with the book in her lap saying "bye bye mommy. i love you. be good." and she was waving. Then she wanted another kiss, so of course, I couldn't pass it up. After I kissed her, she was doing the same thing with the waving & saying bye bye. She just cracks me up!!!

Dentist appt.

2009-09-15T21:12:00.002-04:00

Jillian had her 3rd dental appointment today. She saw Dr. Thompson this time. Oh, boy was that an experience for Chris. I thought it was going to be bad because she was whiny when she first got to the office. She was crying because I wanted to wash off her face & hands because she was very dirty. That wasn't a good sign. So, they finally took her back into a room and closed the door. She was screaming so loudly they could hear her across the exam area in the other room. Then when Dr. Thompson heard her, he said "Who is that?" When Ellen told him it was Jillian he said "We have a strong willed child do we?" That is an understatement. Chris said he came into the room with his hands covering his ears. I don't really know how good the exam was because when she came out she came up to me (her cheeks were very red) and was upset because she wanted an orange ball instead of the green one she picked. When I said no, she lost it & I made Chris take her out of the office because I knew that wouldn't go over well. Chris did say Dr. Thompson didn't really get a good look at her frenum and it is written in the chart to look at it next time. But I don't think there were any cavities, so all is good. She was a 2T (we grade on behavior) but I changed it to a 2F. I got yelled at by a couple of my co-workers because she is only 2, but it still sounds like she was an F to me. So I changed it to 2FT. We have been trying really hard to brush her teeth every night. We are also going to start using fluoride toothpaste. With the teeth Chris & I have, it is a good idea to take as many precautions as possible.